Sentencing delayed for woman who murdered Whidbey man
Published 1:30 am Friday, March 13, 2026
A sentencing hearing for a woman who murdered Whidbey Island resident Thomas Flood five years ago has been rescheduled — again.
A jury found 67-year-old Lynda Mercy, a resident of the Fairhaven area of Bellingham, guilty of murder in the second degree with a firearms enhancement following a month-long trial last month.
The sentencing hearing was originally scheduled for March 5, then was moved to March 10 and then March 12. The Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office reported that it’s now set for 1:30 p.m. on April 7.
Whatcom County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Erik Sigmar said in an interview that Mercy, who doesn’t have a felony criminal history, faces a standard sentencing range of 123-220 months in prison, plus an additional mandatory five years because of the firearm enhancement. The midpoint of the sentence range, he noted, is just over 19 years.
During the trial, Sigmar presented evidence that Mercy shot 67-year-old Flood near the Coupeville ferry dock, where he regularly parked the van he lived in. She then drove his van to Semiahoo Spit in Blaine and dumped his body before leaving the van in Fairhaven. Flood was shot twice in the torso, but it was uncertain when and where he died.
Flood was known as a South Whidbey resident who worked odd jobs. Sigmar said his family members and friends are expected to provide victim impacts statements at the sentencing hearing.
