Janette

MEDIA ADVISORY Victims of Governor Newsom’s Death Penalty Commutations to Speak Out Full Media Advisory: bit.ly/4j9ej3Z Santa Ana – Crime victims will speak out at a press conference to denounce Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to commute the death sentences of all 548 of California’s condemned inmates. The decision to commute the death sentences to life without the possibility of parole comes just a month after the Board of Parole hearings adopted new regulations on October 1, 2026, which will allow state prisoners sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole to now be eligible for a hearing where the Board of Parole recommends release after they have served 25 years of their sentence with very few exceptions. Orange County District Attorney’s Office Thursday, November 12, 2026 10 a.m. Orange County Crime Victims’ Monument Orange County District Attorney’s Office Courtyard 300 N. Flower Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703 Press Conference Speakers will include: Steve Herr, Father of Private First-Class Samuel Eliezer "Sam" Herr, who was just 26 years old when he was shot and killed by his neighbor Daniel Wozniak in Costa Mesa in 2010. Wozniak also shot and killed Sam’s friend, Juri "Julie" Kibuishi, to frame Sam for Kibuishi's murder and steal his combat pay to pay for his upcoming wedding and honeymoon. Sam’s dismembered body parts were later recovered in El Dorado Park. Wozniak was convicted of the special circumstances murders and was sentenced to death Faye Jenkins, Mother of Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak, who was just 26 years old when she was sexually assaulted, tortured and murdered alongside her 24-year-old husband United States Marine Corps Sergeant and helicopter mechanic Jan Pietrzak on October 15, 2008. Jan Pietrzak was born and raised in Poland and the couple had been married for just 67 days when they were executed. Racial epithets were written on the walls of the couple’s home, and several fires were set in an attempt to cover up the crimes. Four Marines – Lance Cpl. Emrys John, age 18, of Maryland, Lance Cpl. Kesaun Sykes, age 21, of California, Pvt. Kevin Darnell Cox, 20, of Tennessee, and Lance Cpl. Tyrone Miller, age 20, of North Carolina – were charged with the murders. John, Sykes, and Miller were sentenced to death. Cox was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Debra Hernandez, Chapter Leader of the Greater Orange County Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, serving in loving memory of her son, Jonathan. Patricia Wenskunas, Founder/CEO of Crime Survivors, Inc., a nonprofit that supports individuals and families affected by violent crime. Wenskunas launched the organization after her own experience as a survivor of a violent crime in 2002, when she faced both the trauma of the attack and the challenges of the criminal justice process. Jon Radus, Fullerton Police Chief and President of the Orange County Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs Association. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, statewide campaign manager to pass Marsy’s Law, California’s comprehensive Victim’s Bill of Rights, approved by California voters in 2008, to ensure victims have a voice in the criminal justice system. MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA ARE ASKED TO RSVP TO: [email protected] MEDIA CHECK-IN WILL BEGIN AT 9:15 A.M. INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS WILL BE COORDINATED WITH EVENT SPEAKERS FOLLOWING THE PRESS CONFERENCE.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer Issues Statement on Governor Newsom’s Commutation of All Death Sentences in California Click here for full release: bit.ly/4AiweLB SANTA ANA, Calif. – Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer issued the following statement regarding California Governor Gavin Newsom’s commutation of all death sentences in California: Governor Gavin Newsom’s commutation of the death sentences of all 548 condemned inmates in California is mercy for the wolves and while inflicting the ultimate act of cruelty on the sheep. You cannot have crime without punishment, and in those instances in which the crimes committed are so heinous that death is the only appropriate punishment, I, as the elected District Attorney of Orange County, have, and will, continue to pursue the death penalty. The death penalty has been repeatedly upheld by California voters and we as prosecutors represent the People of California and the greater good. Clearly, Governor Newsom does not. The pursuit of justice does not bend to political whims, and I am heartbroken for the hundreds of families who must now grapple with the devastation of knowing that the monsters who harmed their loved ones are one step closer to being back out on our streets. The decision to impose death is not one made by an elected District Attorney an elected judge or an elected governor. It is the only sentence that is handed down by a jury of 12 who have listened to all of the evidence and decided that imposition of death is what is just. Governor Newsom’s decision to unilaterally eradicate the decisions of hundreds of juries comes as no surprise, as this is just another step in a calculated march to empty out California’s prisons and send a message that no one should be held responsible for their crimes. As of October 1, the state Board of Parole implemented regulations which allows thousands of inmates sentenced to Life Without the Possibility of Parole to be eligible for parole – ripping away a sense of security and finality for crime victims who were promised their monsters would die behind bars. Now those criminals sentenced to death are one step closer to also being eligible for release from prison – and release from accountability. Today, the voices of criminals are louder than the cries of victims, and the governor should be ashamed of himself for twisting the knife into the hearts of victims who have already suffered the most unimaginable pain. @CAgovernor @GovPressOffice @GavinNewsom