Controversy Surrounds Governor Newsom’s Decision on Parole
Governor Gavin Newsom is facing backlash from the San Luis Obispo County Prosecutor’s Office over his choice not to intervene in the parole case of a convicted murderer. This decision clears the path for a man who has spent more than 50 years behind bars for a violent murder in 1974 to be released.
District Attorney Dan Dow has been quite vocal about his disapproval of both the parole decision and the governor’s inaction. He described the situation as a glaring failure of California’s criminal justice system, emphasizing the sense of injustice it brings to the victims and their families.
Alberto Tamez was convicted of kidnapping, raping, and strangling Genevieve Adalyn Moreno in Nipomo in 1974. Dow stated, “I am deeply concerned that our criminal and victims’ justice systems have resulted in the man who brutally murdered Genevieve Moreno more than 50 years ago going free.”
The incident unfolded outside the bar where Moreno worked before leading to the location where her body was ultimately found. She was attacked late on June 17 and her body discovered the following morning in a nearby eucalyptus grove.
The coroner, Dr. Carl Kirschner, reported that Moreno died from “homicidal strangulation” and noted various injuries on her body from the assault.
Investigators quickly identified Tamez that same morning based on bloodstains on his clothing and other evidence linking him to the crime scene. He was convicted of first-degree murder and other charges, receiving a life sentence with the possibility of parole in September 1974.
At 75 years old, Tamez was granted parole by the California Parole Hearing Board on December 30. Dow and his office pushed back against this decision at every opportunity, firmly asserting there was no doubt regarding Tamez’s culpability, labeling the act as “horrific and senseless.”
Dow remarked, “My office fought this outcome every step of the way. Alberto Tamez Jr. was not a fringe figure or a legal expert; he was the murderer. He admitted it. The evidence was overwhelming.”
Additionally, Dow pointed out that Newsom had the power to block the parole but chose not to, a decision he argues effectively hastened Tamez’s release.
“I am extremely disappointed that the Parole Hearing Board granted parole and that the Governor did not take action to reverse that decision,” Dow expressed.
As of May 8, Tamez is still held at the California Men’s Colony as his release process unfolds. Dow stressed that “Genevieve Moreno deserved more recognition” and stated it’s his duty to ensure her story and legacy are honored. The prospect of her murderer being released is a troubling outcome that his office did not support or accept lightly.
