LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is giving hundreds of convicted murderers something their victims never received: a second chance at life. Not freedom, mind you, but freedom from the execution chamber.
The outgoing Democratic governor announced Thursday that he is commuting the death sentences of 548 inmates to life without parole, a sweeping move that includes notorious serial killers, child murderers and a man linked to the deaths of two Michigan men.
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Newsom argues that capital punishment is unfair, costly and incompatible with California’s values. But prosecutors and victims’ families have a different opinion about who deserves mercy. Newsom has opposed executions for years, imposing a moratorium in 2019. And now, as he prepares to leave office, he’s trying to make that opposition permanent for hundreds of condemned prisoners.
Michigan Victims Linked to the Scorecard Killer
Among those who stand to benefit is Randy Kraft, the notorious “Scorecard Killer,” convicted of murdering 16 young men in California – but suspected of killing about 65.
Kraft has also been linked to the December 1982 murders of Dennis Alt, 24, and Christopher Schoenborn, 20, whose bodies were discovered in Kent County, Michigan.
The two men had attended an agricultural convention in Grand Rapids before disappearing. Investigators connected Kraft to the case, although he was never convicted of their murders. For their families, the Michigan connection makes Newsom’s decision more than another California political controversy.
Remember Polly Klaas? Her Killer Gets a Break, Too
Also on the list is Richard Allen Davis, convicted of kidnapping and murdering 12-year-old Polly Klaas in 1993. Polly was abducted from her Petaluma home during a sleepover, sparking a nationwide search and becoming one of America’s most recognizable child murder cases.
Her father, Marc Klaas, isn’t celebrating Newsom’s decision. He told the San Francisco Chronicle that replacing the death penalty with life without parole moves convicted killers one step closer to the possibility of eventual release. His message to Newsom was considerably less diplomatic: “Fuck him.”
Prosecutors Fight Back
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Newsom’s sweeping clemency decision isn’t necessarily a done deal. Under California law, the state Supreme Court must approve commutations involving inmates with multiple felony convictions. That means 382 cases still require judicial approval.
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow blasted the move as a “sickening abuse of power,” accusing Newsom of disregarding juries, voters and victims’ families. His criticism comes after California voters rejected efforts to abolish the death penalty in both 2012 and 2016. Now, the backlash could be heading to court, with former Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, who leads the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, pledging a legal challenge.
While the legal battles could just be beginning, the families of murder victims are once again left fighting for justice they believed had already been decided. Newsom may consider his decision a victory for criminal justice reform, but for those who have spent decades waiting for justice, it’s another reminder that even a jury’s verdict isn’t necessarily the final word.
