Newport Beach family members say they are terrified that grandmother's murderer could be granted parole
A Newport Beach family is living in fear after the man who murdered their grandmother 30 years ago may be considered for parole.
Shannon Wadsworth, the victim's granddaughter, is speaking out, pleading for Gov. Gavin Newsom to block the release.
"I'm terrified. My entire family is terrified," Wadsworth said. "He should not be on the streets; he's not safe. He even said in his parole hearing that he has the possibility to commit this crime again, a crime of sexual nature, and that says it all."
In the 1990's, teenager James Dennis Lynch made headlines after pleading guilty to the brutal rape, robbery and murder of his Stockton neighbor Hilda Boggianno.
Lynch was sentenced to 36 years to life in prison. He's served 30 years, and Wadsworth worries a release could happen at any time.
In an email, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation responded that Lynch is not scheduled for release.
"The Board of Parole Hearings made a preliminary decision on Jan. 15, 2026, regarding this case. A grant of suitability does not mean the automatic release of an incarcerated person," CDCR wrote. Any decision will still go through a comprehensive review.
The convicted killer, according to Wadsworth, qualifies for early parole under the youth offender program.
Adding to her fears, Wadsworth says her personal information was provided as a crime victim, and she was told it was mistakenly passed on to her grandmother's killer.
About a dozen years ago, the letter from Lynch arrived.
"I was hysterical. I had panic attacks. I consulted an attorney. I talked to the warden," Wadsworth said. "The warden stripped-searched him and his cell and found all my information hidden in his mattress."
If Lynch is granted parole, Wadsworth said she was told he would have to wear an ankle monitor for a period of time, between three and 10 years. "But even so, those can be faulty; they can't keep track of him all the time. The battery could wear out, he could take it off," she said.
The CDCR noted in its email that grants of parole are proposed decisions and become final only after a "thorough and comprehensive review by the Board of Parole Hearings and the Governor, which can take up to 150 days."
