Billy Bird sentenced to 20 years in prison

William “Billy” Bird — who stabbed a Creston woman in the chest with a knife earlier this year — was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday.

Bird — who has already served about nine months in Union County Jail — was transferred Friday afternoon from Creston to Iowa Treatment and Classification Center in Oakdale where he will now be evaluated by Department of Adult Corrections staff.

They will determine at which prison facility Bird will serve his 20-year sentence.

Court documents do state, however, Bird’s prison term may be reduced by as much as half as a result of statutory good conduct time and other statutory credits.

That night

Court documents state on Jan. 22, Bird went to 705 W. Montgomery St. at about 9:30 p.m. An argument broke out between Bird and a female victim who is the mother of his child. Bird struck the female in the face and attempted to strangle her.

At 2:15 a.m., Bird returned to the residence and forced his way inside where he threatened and struck the female victim. The female victim attempted to go to a neighbor’s house about 2:30 a.m.

Bird chased the victim, eventually catching her and stabbing her in the chest with a knife. She was transported to Greater Regional Medical Center and survived her injury.

Bird was initially charged with attempted murder, first-degree burglary and domestic abuse/assault by strangulation.

In September, Bird’s attempted murder charge — which carries a minimum 25 year sentence — was amended to a willful injury charge “because the circumstances of (the victim’s) injury were not as severe as originally believed.”