Families of murder victims respond to California governor’s plan to end death sentences

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to convert 548 death sentences to life in prison without parole has sparked frustration and heartbreak among families of murder victims, including those of Michael Lyons and Sacramento County Deputy Danny Oliver.

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to commute all 548 death row sentences in the state to life in prison without the possibility of parole has triggered intense frustration, heartbreak, and outrage among the families of murder victims.

This historic move, marking the largest mass commutation of death sentences in United States history, has reopened deep wounds for many surviving relatives who feel that the justice they fought for has been taken away

Reactions from Victims’ Families

Many family members expressed profound anger that the individual circumstances of their cases were brushed aside in a blanket decision:

Syntara Fuller, whose brother Michael Lyons was kidnapped and murdered in 1996 by serial killer Robert Boyd Rhoades, expressed bitter disappointment after fighting for justice for nearly 30 years. She noted: “Knowing that not one case was looked at individually… is very, very hard. They wasted the judge’s time, the DA’s time, the investigators’ time. It’s all for nothing.”

Steve Herr, the father of Sam Herr—who was murdered and dismembered in 2010 alongside his friend Julie Kibuishi by Daniel Wozniak—described himself as “absolutely disgusted” by the decision, calling the governor a coward and stating that the execution of his son’s killer would have provided

finality.Patricia Wenskunas, founder of the support organization Crime Survivors, condemned the action as “offensive” and “an insult” to the victims and their families.

Other grieving families, including the relatives of murdered police officer Danny Oliver and Marc Klaas (father of Polly Klaas, who was killed by death row inmate Richard Allen Davis), have strongly criticized the move, arguing it completely disregards the horrific nature of the crimes committed.