Convicted killer Jeffrey Allen Maria to be released from prison despite opposition from victims' family
MODESTO -- California's Board of Parole ruled in a majority on Wednesday, Aug. 23 that convicted double-murderer Jeffrey Allen Maria will walk free.
Maria, 61, was first granted parole in March for his role in the murders of Kathy and Philip Ranzo more than 40 years ago. He was 17 at the time.
Gov. Gavin Newsom in July announced he would not step in to deny parole for Maria, instead referring the final call to an "En Banc" parole hearing in which the Board of Commissioners would allow the public to weigh in one last time before making the decision to release Maria or keep him behind bars.
On Wednesday, after hearing from six speakers in favor of Maria's release and eleven in opposition, the board stood by their original decision to parole Maria.
Maria, Marty Spears, Ronald Anderson and Darren Lee were all teenagers in June 1979 when they were convicted of brutally killing the Modesto couple at their home. The teens knocked on the couple's door pretending to need help with gas when they staged their brutal attack.
The four were found guilty of first-degree murder and were each sentenced at the time to two life sentences without the possibility of parole for the torture, rape and murder of the Ranzos.
They were re-sentenced in the 1980's to serve two consecutive life sentences with the possibility of parole.
"It's just evil. That is what we are dealing with," said Sandy Ranzo Howell, Philip's sister.
After 44 years locked up, Maria is now the first of the four to win back his freedom.
From speaking out to "speechless"
Family members of Kathy and Philip have attended more than 30 parole hearings for each of the four men over the years to beg parole commissioners to keep them behind bars each time they became eligible for release.
"The furthest it's ever gone is this one," Mark Ranzo told CBS13 Wednesday.
Mark was just ten years old when he was left orphaned by the acts of Maria and the others.
"He's continued to lie, he's continued to deny his involvement in being in the house. His insight, he has none whatsoever. To be let go in society today, he is going to re-offend," Mark told CBS13.
Mark spoke from the heart in his two-minute public comment allotment before the board on Wednesday.
"I beg you to not let another family go through what I've been through," Mark said to the board through tears.
Sandy held up a photo of her brother Phil and Kathy as she gave her statement to the board.
"Jeffrey and his crime partners murdered my brother and raped Kathy. Philip and Kathy's parents grieved until the day they died. They died of broken hearts and cried every day," Sandy said, choking back tears herself.
Other statements in opposition to Maria's release were made by Maurene Todd Ranzo, Mark's two daughters and other supporters that even included strangers to them.
Marge Grow-Eppard, the director of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People of California, happens to be a childhood friend of Philip Ranzo. She spoke passionately to the board.
"We have come together as a global unity of missing and murdered Indigenous people. To prevent things like this from happening, for them to come back out into the world and recommit, and you know he will," Grow-Eppard said at the podium.
After the board ultimately ruled to release Maria on Wednesday, the Ranzo family released a statement to CBS13 saying they are "speechless."
"Part of us believed justice would be served. On the other hand, how could we expect the panel to reverse it when one of the commissioners who sat there today was the one who granted him parole," the family said.
A past prosecutor's plea
Beth De Jong retired from her position as a deputy district attorney in Stanislaus County after representing the Ranzos in dozens of these ongoing parole hearings.
Even in her retirement, she volunteers as a special prosecutor and still attends every hearing.
De Jong says this is the most important case of her career. It is also the only time she has ever fought against any decision made by the parole board.
"This is different. This is pure evil. This is not just a youthful offender. This is not, not knowing the difference between right and wrong. This is mutilation, torture, rape, multiple murders, and the problem here is lie after lie after lie after lie for all of these crime partners," De Jong told CBS13.
She argues that the release of someone sentenced to serve two life sentences without the possibility of parole is a failure of California's criminal justice reform.
"The only life sentence that's being served in this case is by the family members," De Jong said.
Who would like to speak in support of Mr. Maria?
In parole hearings, the family and friends of the victims by law get the last word.
Six people signed up to speak on Maria's behalf Wednesday, one of them being his wife of 14 years Michaele Beebe-Maria.
"He understands that without his participation, this crime may very well have never happened," Beebe-Maria said, adding that her husband has expressed his remorse to her for the crimes. "He will not be a danger to society."
Among the others who spoke in favor of Maria was Bob Polkinghorn, a community volunteer in the hospice unit at the volunteer California Medical Facility where Maria works daily.
"No inmate I have ever known, and I have known many at CMF, has been as well prepared for parole or less likely to re-offend than Mr. Maria," Polkinghorn told the board.
An attorney for Maria also touted his service in the hospice unit and working with dogs in the state prison system as a sign of personal reform.
"His remorse is deepfelt, it is never going to go away," said Rich Pfeiffer at the hearing.
Likely to reoffend?
The Ranzos stand by what they have believed since 1979: when any of these four men walk free, another family will pay the price.
"He will re-offend," Mark said. "If I could walk out of that penitentiary with my parents, let them free. But if I can't, do not let them go."
That message has pushed them through the mental torture and retraumatization of more than 30 parole hearings for all four men over the years.
They fear for their community and their own safety now that Maria has won his freedom.
"Prisoners have nothing but time — time to figure out what to say and how to act to manipulate the parole board in believing they have been reformed. It's just pure disbelief, shock, disgust, fear, confusion. What comes now?" the Ranzo family said in its statement after the decision came down.
Next steps in newfound freedom
There is no appeal that can be made after the board makes its final decision on parole, so Maria will soon find himself beyond prison walls. When exactly he will be released is not yet clear.
"It could be any day," De Jong told CBS13, adding that the Ranzos are considering stay-away orders for their own protection upon Maria's release.
The other three other men convicted of the crimes remain behind bars.
"We cannot get distracted from focusing on the remaining lifers and continue to fight for justice," Maurene Todd Ranzo said.
