Parole denied for man convicted of murdering Justine Vanderschoot
PLACER COUNTY - Parole has been denied for one of two men convicted in the murder of a Placer County teen nearly 20 years ago.
Justine Vanderschoot was just 17 in 2003 when she was killed by her boyfriend Daniel Bezemer and his roommate Brandon Fernandez. Bezemer was given a sentence of 25 years to life behind bars, while Fernandez was handed 15. Both were given the possibility of parole.
On Wednesday, the parole board denied Bezemer a chance at release. Fernandez was denied parole last month. At the time, the Placer County District Attorney's Office posted that they had delivered over 9,000 petitions to the parole board opposing Fernandez's release.
Vanderschoot's older sister Christine said Fernandez was the driving force behind the murder.
Fernandez is permitted to appeal his sentence once every three years.
The killing was apparently over Bezemer's fear of being dumped. In 2003, Bezemer and Fernandez tapped Vandershoot's phone and found that she may have been considering breaking up with Bezemer. They then strangled her and buried her alive in Applegate. Her body was found two weeks later.
The family told CBS13 that keeping Fernandez locked up is the only real justice they'll ever get.