A West Sacramento man was denied parole more than a decade after a Yolo County jury convicted him of second degree murder.
At a parole hearing held at the California State Prison at Solano in Vacaville on Monday, a two-commissioner panel of the Board of Parole hearings denied the parole of David Cree, according to Michael Works of the Yolo County District Attorney”s Office.
“On Oct. 8, 2000, 20-year-old Cree and his crime partner, Jesse Lampkin, were driving along Capitol Avenue in West Sacramento after a night of drinking,” Works said. They drove by Gregory Rowan and Jimmy Lee Richardson, who Cree believed may have previously assaulted him.
According to Works, Cree pulled the car over and said “where are the girls” to Richardson and Rowan. Lampkin then pulled out a sawed-off shotgun and fired a number of rounds at Richardson and Rowan. Richardson died that day and Rowan survived with serious injuries.
In 2003, a Yolo County jury convicted Cree of second degree murder, discharge of a firearm, and attempted voluntary manslaughter. The trial judge sentenced him to 15 years-to-life in state prison.
The jury also convicted Lampkin of murder but his case was reversed on appeal. On a retrial, a jury convicted Lampkin of manslaughter. Lampkin has since been released from prison.
Commissioners Jack Garner and Mark Remis determined that Cree, now 34 years old, still posed an unreasonable risk to public safety should he be released from prison, according to Works.
The commissioners determined that a three-year denial was appropriate at the present time, noting that although he had made progress in the past three years, they were concerned about Cree”s recent prison rules violations which involved violent and aggressive behavior.
West Sacramento Police Chief Thomas McDonald submitted a letter of opposition to Cree”s release.
“Mr. Cree”s willful disregard for human life and his inability to follow the law, or rules in general, makes him an unsuitable candidate for parole,” McDonald said.
Cree will be eligible for a new parole hearing in 2017, however, the law permits him to request an earlier hearing date.
