Gov. Newsom Commutes Sentences of 500 Death Row Inmates, Including 34 From San Diego

Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday that he is commuting the death sentences of more than 500 condemned inmates in California. The decision replaces the ultimate penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole. Among the inmates affected are 34 men and women who were sent to death row by San Diego County prosecutors for crimes committed over the past four decades.

The commutation covers individuals convicted as far back as the 1980s. Some of the most high-profile cases from the region are included in the list. Cleophus Prince, 59, was convicted of the 1990 serial killings of six women in San Diego. David Westerfield, 74, was convicted in 2002 for the murder of 7-year-old neighbor Danielle van Dam. Jesse Michael Gomez, 62, was the most recent San Diego resident sentenced to death in 2022 for the 2016 shooting death of Officer Jonathan “J.D.” De Guzman.

The local reaction to the announcement has been divided along professional lines. District Attorney Summer Stephan described the decision as a devastating blow to the families of victims. She stated that her office was not given the opportunity to provide input or notify the families of the change. Stephan said her team is receiving calls filled with pain and shock, noting that they are researching lawful remedies to ensure the voices of the victims are considered.

Stephan emphasized that the families feel deprived of the rights guaranteed to them under the constitution. She added that her office is looking for legal avenues that will allow these families to be heard and for their input to be weighed in the process.

In contrast, San Diego Public Defender Paul Rodriguez expressed agreement with the clemency decision. While he supported the specific action of commuting the sentences, he noted that the move does not repeal the death penalty itself. Rodriguez stated that he certainly wishes the penalty had been repealed along with the commutations.

Legal scholars also reacted strongly to the news. Professor Justin Brooks, who works with The Innocence Center at the University of San Diego School of Law, said he was overwhelmed with joy upon hearing the announcement. Brooks, who has represented clients freed from death row, argued that the criminal legal system makes too many mistakes to trust it with the finality of execution. He advocated for the abolition of the death penalty as a standard punishment.

California has not executed a prisoner since 2006. In 2019, Newsom ordered a moratorium on all executions while he remains in office. That same year, he closed the death row facility at San Quentin State Prison. The condemned inmates were subsequently transferred to various prisons across the state’s system.

The list of 34 San Diego County inmates includes individuals convicted of crimes ranging from botched robberies to the torture of children. Eric Anderson, 52, was convicted in 2003 of fatally shooting a speedway owner during a robbery. Hector Ayala, 75, and Ronaldo Ayala, 76, were convicted of 1985 murders during an auto repair shop robbery. Steven Bell, 61, was convicted in 1992 of stabbing a boy to death while the child watched television.

Other inmates on the list include Kevin Cooper, 68, who has maintained his innocence regarding four 1983 killings, and Kerry Dalton, 73, one of the few women on death row, convicted in 1988 for the torture murder of an acquaintance. The group also includes Ivan Gonzales, 60, and Veronica Gonzalez, 57, who were convicted in 1995 of torturing and killing a 4-year-old niece in a bathtub.

The commutation affects inmates such as David Carpenter, 96, known for the early 1980s killings of hikers, and George Williams, 71, convicted in 2004 for a 1986 kidnapping and murder. The list spans nearly 40 years of legal proceedings, with the oldest convictions dating to 1985 and the newest to 2022. All 34 individuals will now serve life sentences without the chance of parole.