A man who conspired to kill a police officer is recommended for parole, but officers, the victim's family, and others are writing letters, asking Gov. Jerry Brown to keep him behind bars.
The case is from 30 years ago but remembered today, some say, like it was yesterday.
LAPD Detective Thomas Williams picked up his 6-year-old son from day care at a church in Canoga Park on Halloween day in 1985 when shots rang out.
The gunman had a Mac 10 and shot 17 times. Eight rounds went into Williams. The shooter -- Daniel Jenkins, who is on California's Death Row.
Los Angeles Police Protective League President Craig Lally, then a beat cop, was assigned to protect the detective's family including the son whose father was able to shield from gunfire.
"Shortly thereafter I met the kid," Lally said. "I mean, that kid is scarred for life."
The killing was part of a larger conspiracy that involved weeks of following the detective, his wife, son and daughter, a plot to stop the detective from testifying in a robbery case against Jenkins.
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The scheme included then 22-year old Voltaire Williams.
"Here's a guy who had no problem conspiring to kill a guy, a police officer picking up his kid," Lally said.
Williams, no relation, is serving 25 years to life in state prison for participating in the scheme though he was not the shooter or on scene that day.
The remorse he has shown is part of the reason a two-member panel of the state Parole Board granted Williams parole two weeks ago.
The decision follows clinical and psychological evaluations that the state says shows Williams does not pose "an unreasonable risk of danger to society or a threat to public safety."
It comes a year after another two members decided Williams should not be paroled, saying that he had not taken enough responsibility for the crime.
"The fact that he has been in for a certain amount of time compensates for that," said Marc Debbaudt, represents the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, the association for deputy district attorneys of Los Angeles County, and has been in contact with the slain detective's wife, Norma. "I don't think it does. Every year you are re-victimized. Every time this come up, you are retraumatized. They still have fear for their safety. They don't live in the state. They don't want to speak to the press."
Debbaudt and Williams' wife are writing letters to influence California Governor Jerry Brown to reverse the recent decision. The LAPPL and several other agencies are also writing letters.
The state department of corrections and rehabilitation says granting parole is a significant occurrence not taken lightly.
Well over the majority of the 20,000 imprisoned in California will ever be released on parole.
And though a record 902 lifers were granted parole in 2014, not all were released and little over 3,800 were denied parole.
Scrutiny will also be given to Williams' case, perhaps a full 12-member parole board review before the governor has his say. Brown can approve, amend or reverse the decision.
A spokesman for the governor said he does due diligence in all parole cases.
It will take 120 days of review before he gets this on his desk.
Williams' attorneys did not respond to repeated calls for comment.
