Parole Denied for Convicted Murderer

District Attorney Jill Ravitch has announced that following a Wednesday hearing held at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran, defendant Gregory L. Gossett, 58 years old of Santa Rosa, was denied parole by the California Department of Corrections Board of Parole Hearings.  Gossett was convicted in 1985 of murder, attempted murder, and felony assault, and sentenced to life in prison.  At the hearing, Gossett, who was aged 19 and 20 at the time of his crimes, requested he be paroled pursuant to “youthful offender” parole laws.  The Board issued a five year denial of his parole.

The charges resulted from two separate offenses a year apart.  In 1984 Gossett engaged his first victim for prostitution. When they disagreed over money, he hit her in the back of the head and choked her until she was unconscious.  That victim sought medical care, but did not initially report the crime.  In 1985, Gossett again engaged the services of a prostitute. When the two also disagreed over payment Gossett choked her until she was dead.  Gossett dumped the victim’s body in a ditch but was later apprehended by law enforcement with the assistance of his prior victim.  Gossett was convicted after trial and sentenced to life in prison.   

The Board of Parole Hearings determined that Gossett currently presented a high risk of violence based upon his continuing issues around entitlement, lack of self-control, impulsivity and his lack of insight into his life crimes.

Deputy District Attorney Juliette Hyde represented the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office at the hearing.