The man who strangled to death a 17-year-old San Francisco girl will remain in prison after Governor Gavin Newsom reversed a parole board decision to free him.
Royce Miller was jailed for the brutal 2004 killing of Lincoln High School senior Maxina Danner, whose body was later found dumped in a city park. Newsom, who was San Francisco mayor at the time of the murder, visited her school to console her grieving classmates.
“I have considered the evidence in the record that is relevant to whether Mr. Miller is currently dangerous,” wrote the Governor in a statement. “When considered as a whole, I find the evidence shows that he currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time.”
The decision brings to an end, for now, an extraordinary episode – one that saw a prosecutor from the San Francisco district attorney’s office unexpectedly support Miller’s release at the parole hearing, only for Brooke Jenkins to switch that position and oppose release days before the Governor’s verdict.
“My sister was an excellent student and talented athlete, a loyal friend and a kind and funny person. She was loved and her life mattered.”
Andrea Weltman, sister of Maxina Danner
Maxina’s family, left to fend for themselves at the October parole hearing, maintained that her killer should stay behind bars. The prosecutor involved in the debacle no longer works for the district attorney’s office.
The announcement was made on Friday night.
“We are grateful for the Governor’s thoughtful consideration of this case and commend him and his team for making the right, though difficult, decision,” said Maxina’s sister Andrea Weltman.
“My sister was an excellent student and talented athlete, a loyal friend and a kind and funny person. She was loved and her life mattered. Crime victims are not given justice unless we ensure that criminals meet exacting standards before being released back into society.
“This crime was absolutely senseless and shockingly brutal. Mr. Miller has not demonstrated that he has gone through sufficient rehabilitation that he would not be a danger to someone else and I am relieved that both the District Attorney’s office and the Governor reached the same conclusion.”
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