Transient who caused the death of another transient gets maximum prison sentence

Defendant Isaiah Alexander Bennett, age 23, a transient generally of the Ukiah area, had his ticket punched Thursday morning for an extended stay in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.



Defendant Bennett was sentenced by Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Keith Faulder to eight (8) years in state prison, the maximum allowed by law for the charges.

Because his crime is characterized as a violent felony in the Penal Code, the defendant should be required under the current state of the law to serve 85% of his overall prison sentence before becoming eligible for release on parole.

Bennett was convicted on October 2nd by plea of causing the untimely death of Jimmie Darrell Isenhart, Jr, age 48, another transient generally of the Ukiah area. After punching the victim in the face, the defendant then kicked the victim in the face, a violent application of force that caused traumatic and fatal injuries to the victim's brain.

This will be Bennett's first trip to state prison but not his first prison commitment. Bennett previously served a 44-month Realignment County Prison commitment for second degree burglary and statutory rape, a sentence he completed in the local jail in December 2018. Nine months later, he killed Mr. Isenhart.

The investigating law enforcement agency that gathered the necessary evidence to support the prosecution and conviction of the defendant was the Ukiah Police Department.

The prosecutor who handled this case from arraignment through sentencing was Deputy District Attorney Luke Oakley.