Newsom Commutes 500 Death Sentences, Including 34 from San Diego

Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he is commuting the death sentences of more than 500 inmates to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The action spares 34 individuals sentenced by San Diego County, some of whom have remained on the list of condemned prisoners for decades.

District Attorney Summer Stephan described the decision as a devastating blow to victims who lost loved ones in what she called some of the cruelest ways. Her office stated it was not given the opportunity to provide input or notify the families before the commutation. Stephan said her staff is receiving calls from people expressing pain and shock over the lack of consideration for their constitutional rights. The office is currently researching lawful remedies to ensure these voices are heard.

The 34 San Diego cases span a wide range of crimes and time periods. The group includes Cleophus Prince, who was convicted in 1990 of stabbing six women to death in their homes across Clairemont, University City, and East San Diego. It also includes David Westerfield, 74, convicted in 2002 of killing 7-year-old neighbor Danielle van Dam in Sabre Springs.

Jesse Michael Gomez, 62, is the most recent addition to the San Diego group. He was sentenced to death in 2022 for shooting and killing San Diego police Officer Jonathan De Guzman and seriously wounding his partner in 2016. Before Gomez’s sentencing, it had been 12 years since the county last sent an inmate to death row.

Other notable convictions on the list include Manuel Bracamontes, 63, who was found guilty in 2003 of kidnapping and killing 9-year-old Laura Arroyo in San Ysidro. DNA evidence led to his arrest. Adrian Camacho, 51, was convicted of shooting and killing Oceanside police Officer Tony Zeppetella during a traffic stop in 2003.

Public Defender Paul Rodriguez agreed with the clemency decision but noted that the move does not repeal the death penalty. He stated that he certainly wishes the penalty was abolished. Professor Justin Brooks, who works with The Innocence Center at the University of San Diego School of Law, said the news left him overwhelmed with joy. Brooks argued that the criminal legal system makes too many mistakes to trust it with the ultimate punishment.

California has not executed a prisoner since 2006. In 2019, Newsom ordered a moratorium on executions while he was in office and closed the death row unit at San Quentin. The inmates were subsequently transferred to prisons across the state system.

The list of 34 individuals includes those convicted in the 1980s, such as David Carpenter, 96, known as the Trailside Killer for the murders of seven hikers in Marin County. His trial was moved to San Diego County. It also includes Kevin Cooper, 68, who was found guilty in 1985 for the 1983 slayings of four people in Chino Hills. Cooper has maintained his innocence throughout the process.

The group also contains women, such as Kerry Dalton, 73, who was convicted in 1988 of the torture and murder of an acquaintance. Brandon Taylor, 53, was convicted in 1995 of raping and murdering an 80-year-old neighbor in North Park. Correll Thomas, 53, was convicted in 1996 of beating a neighbor to death and later killing a stranger who had smiled at his girlfriend.

The final scheduled step in this process involves the transfer of these inmates from their current prison locations, although specific dates for each move have not yet been detailed in the announcement. The state will continue to house them under life sentences without parole.