Santa Rosa Man Convicted of Second Degree Murder Denied Parole for Seventh Time

District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced today that on August 28, 2019, the California Board of Prison Terms denied parole for the seventh time to 59 year old Gary Allen Moore, who was convicted in 1990 of the second degree murder of a two year old child.   

In December of 1988, Garry Allen Moore was on a grant of parole after having been released from the California Department of Corrections for selling narcotics. Within two weeks of being released into the community Moore absconded from his parole supervision and moved in with his girlfriend and her two year old child.   

On the morning of December 12, 1988, Moore’s girlfriend left her home to go to work for the day. While she was away Moore stayed home and was tasked with watching the child.

Later that afternoon the girlfriend returned home to find her child, the victim, on the floor and not breathing. She called 911, and the child was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed that the victim had suffered multiple blows to his head, pattern injuries in the shape of fingers and lacerations across his neck, two broken ribs, a lacerated liver and blunt force injuries to the whole of his body. The medical examiner opined that the child had been beaten to death. Moore was convicted at trial of the second degree murder of the child.   

On August 28, 2019, a hearing was held at the California Department of Corrections, California State Prison Soledad, to determine whether Moore currently remains an unreasonable risk of harm to the public, or whether he should be released on a grant of parole. After taking testimony from Moore, reviewing prison and psychiatric files, and hearing arguments from both Moore’s attorney and this office, the California Board of Prison Terms issued a three year denial of parole. In its denial, the board cited Moore’s continued minimization and misrepresentation of his conduct during the murder, noting that he lacked sufficient insight into his own potential for violence. Moore will not be eligible for parole again until 2022.   

Deputy District Attorney Jamie Kandel appeared at the hearing on behalf of the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office in opposition to Moore’s release.