In brief: parole board reverses decision to free killer of San Francisco toddler
The California Board of Parole Hearings today reversed its decision to free child killer Patrick Goodman – who murdered San Francisco toddler Elijah Sanderson in 2000. The city’s then medical examiner described Elijah’s death as the worst case of child abuse he had ever seen.
The board’s initial move to release Goodman, in January 2024, prompted Governor Gavin Newsom to tell commissioners to look again at the case. Although, because of a legal technicality, he lacked the authority to reverse their decision himself, he said that he would if he could.
After Newsom’s plea, the board held two ‘en banc’ reviews of the case before finally ordering this morning’s rescission hearing – which are held to consider new information and/or determine whether a parole decision was improper because of a fundamental error.
Elijah’s siblings were not present at the initial hearing because no one told them it was happening. Since then they have mounted a brave campaign against Goodman’s release.
This morning Commissioner David Ndudim, Commissioner William Muniz and Deputy Commissioner Brenna Kantrovitz overturned the original grant of parole after concluding that Goodman had not been truthful with the original panel.
The inmate himself refused to appear.
Goodman will be scheduled for a fresh parole hearing in due course.
Case background: ‘Governor says he can’t stop release of SF toddler’s killer, asks parole board to act’
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