SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The property previously identified for the release of a sexually violent predator in Placer County is no longer being considered.
The Placer County District Attorney's Office shared an update Monday from a court status conference for William Stephenson at the Placer County Superior Court. It was originally set to take place April 22, but was held a week early, the district attorney's office said.
Previously, a spokesperson with the Placer County District Attorney's Office confirmed with ABC10 the state was looking at a property very close to tribal lands, but no county or tribe official could confirm exactly where.
At the time, the state was paying $7,000 a month to hold the possible housing location, but it's unclear how the update is impacting the payments.
"The Department of State Hospitals indicated that the address they had previously identified as a possible placement for Stephenson was no longer viable. DSH did not provide any explanation as to why the property was no longer viable and indicated that there are no other properties currently identified for placement," the Placer County District Attorney's Office said in a Facebook post.
ABC10 reached out to the Department of State Hospitals for comment.
"Federal and state patient privacy laws prevent DSH from releasing any information on whether an individual is a current or former patient or was ever a patient with DSH," the Department of State Hospitals said in a statement.
In July 2023, a judge deemed him fit for release. Officials with Placer County, Department of State Hospitals and Liberty Healthcare have looked for a place to house him ever since.
The district attorney's office said during the Monday status conference Stephenson's attorney indicated he would file for transient release as the state hasn't found housing.
Stephenson was first arrested in 1985 for indecent exposure and then for sexual violence in 1991.
The next status conference is scheduled for June 3, 2024, according to the district attorney's office.
