Zebra killer’s court win proves hollow as parole board denies him again
The last surviving Zebra killer failed in his latest bid to secure release at a parole hearing held this morning.
Larry Craig Green, 74, was denied parole for the sixth time, having been convicted in March 1976 of first-degree murder and conspiracy for his role in a six-month spree that killed 14 and wounded eight others.
Green and three accomplices were part of the “Death Angels,” a black Muslim cult bent on slaying white people.
San Francisco prosecutor Diane Knoles told parole commissioners Green was “the most vicious of all of the defendants” and reminded them of his role in the slaying of a defenseless woman.
“He’s the one who delighted in the decapitation of Quita Hague, explaining ‘I did it!,’ throwing up his hands and saying ‘you ought to have seen all the blood gushing out of the devil’s neck,'” Knoles said.
She said the spree’s goal was to spark a race war.
“The attacks were unprovoked. The motive? To start a race war causing whites to move out of San Francisco so that San Francisco would be the first Muslim-controlled city in the U.S.”
Green was denied parole for a period of three years.
“You got involved with an organization that was espousing extreme racist and violent views – shockingly racist and violent views – that ultimately terrorized a community,” presiding commissioner Julie Garland said today.
The videoconference hearing was held at the order of a San Francisco judge who ruled parole commissioners’ skepticism over Green’s claim of innocence had tainted their 2024 decision to deny his release.
Earlier this year, Judge Teresa Caffese struck down that decision. The board had no basis to refuse him, she said, beyond drawing adverse inferences from his denial of guilt, which it should not have done. His innocence claim was “plausible,” she insisted.
The inmate, incarcerated for more than 50 years, maintains his innocence and declined to speak about his crimes at today’s hearing. His three co-defendants, J.C.X. Simon, Manuel Moore and Jessie Cooks, died in prison.
As Green refused to speak to commissioners about the killings, a considerably abbreviated hearing began with Knoles, who highlighted the depravity of Green’s crimes and his lack of remorse and demanded he be denied parole for ten years.
“This is the most notorious, bloody and evil crime spree in San Francisco history,” Knoles said. “The city was shut down, the public was petrified and the city suffered economically and socially.”
“From October 1973 to May 1974 the City of San Francisco was terrorized by a gang of deranged cowards who roamed the streets looking for vulnerable men, women and children. The only requirement was that they be white. Other than that, victims were chosen at random.”
His failure to take responsibility for the crimes, she concluded, demonstrated his lack of insight, which was a critical factor in assessing future dangerousness.
For her part, Green’s attorney, Serena Witherspoon, sought to capitalize on the San Francisco judge’s ruling about her client’s innocence claim.
“Since Mr Green’s improper denial of parole on July 31 2024, nothing has changed that would undermine Judge Caffese’s order,” she said.
“Instead, Mr Green has only continued to demonstrate his suitability for release.”
Michael Dancik, brother of victim Paul Dancik, argued that Green should not be paroled.
“It really galls me that he sits here and he can’t even speak,” said Dancik, referring to Green’s decision not to discuss his conviction.
“The crimes he committed were horrific: death by gun, machete, decapitation and one most horrific body disassembly using cutting instruments and other tools. The people of the City of San Francisco were under a blanket of terror during the time of these killings.”
“I am asking the board to deny parole to Larry Craig Green. I feel he should complete his life sentence without a future outside prison. I will continue to live my future life without my brother Paul.”
A relative of another victim implored commissioners to keep Green locked up.
“Mr Green may have been a young 21-year-old when he engaged, with other defendants, to randomly kill white men and women, but that does not release him from his obligation to spend his life in jail,” she said.
“He made his life choice. He has shown no remorse for his actions. He does not acknowledge them; he stated that in past hearings.”
“He has done nothing to indicate he is sorry for 52 years. He should not be allowed to live the free life of an older man.”
“If the California legal system had a ‘life without parole’ option in 1974 and 1975 we would not be here today. Do not let this man out of jail.”
Commissioners were also reminded of other victims and family members, many of whom have since died and are no longer able to attend parole hearings and advocate for themselves and their loved ones.
Attorney Tom Braun read statements from other victims’ next of kin, while additional written statements were submitted to the parole board.
After an hour’s deliberation, Garland and deputy commissioner James Andres announced that Green would be denied parole.
Garland pointed to his lack of rehabilitation and insufficient programming to tackle his racism.
“You bought into the fact that white people were ‘the devil’ — you saw that white people were being killed all over San Francisco. You admitted that you knew the teachings of the Nation of Islam, but we don’t see any programs to address racism, bias. What have you done to address that?”
“There is no doubt from your testimony that you knew what was happening, you knew Mr Harris had killed somebody in this reign of terror in San Francisco. But you put your head in the sand and you are still putting your head in the sand to some extent today.”
Garland said that, primarily because of his age and ‘elderly parole’ factors, he would be permitted another parole hearing in three years.
Green is backed by Oakland-based nonprofit Uncommon Law – which pulled in $7.6 million in donations last year alone to spring some of the state’s worst predators. A ‘mitigation specialist’ from the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office also contributes to his case.
This story has been updated.
Please support our work by making a donation
To be notified of new stories follow us on X
