David DePape received a life sentence without parole in a California state court for violently attacking Paul Pelosi, the husband of former US house speaker Nancy Pelosi, with a hammer. This sentence follows his existing 30-year federal prison term for the same incident.
The San Francisco district attorney general’s office confirmed that DePape, 44, was convicted of aggravated kidnapping and additional charges, resulting in the life imprisonment verdict without possibility of parole.
The assault occurred in October 2022 when Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat and frequent target of far-right conspiracy theories, held the position of second in line to the presidency. DePape, a Canadian former nudist activist who worked occasionally as a carpenter, had intended to target Nancy Pelosi but encountered her husband instead.
Police bodycam footage documented the attack. After Paul Pelosi managed to contact law enforcement during what DePape described as a “pretty amicable” conversation, officers arrived to witness DePape striking Pelosi with a hammer.
The assault resulted in a skull fracture, requiring surgery and nearly a week of hospitalization. Nancy Pelosi was absent from their San Francisco home that night.
Before his sentencing, DePape gave an emotional statement discussing various conspiracy theories, including the 9/11 attacks and “evil magic murder rituals,” as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. He offered no apology to the Pelosi family, and his legal team has indicated plans to appeal.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said: “While some politicians made light of this incident and joked about it to score political points this was a horrific attack on one of our leaders, a family and our democracy. We must all do our part to stand for justice and the rule of law.”