A serial child molester dubbed the monster parents fear most walks free at 64 under California’s Elderly Parole Program, igniting fury over justice for the irredeemable.
Story Snapshot
- David Allen Funston kidnapped and molested seven children under age 7 in 1995-1996 Sacramento suburbs, earning three life sentences in 1999.
- Board of Parole Hearings granted parole February 18, 2026, citing age-reduced risk despite his horrific crimes.
- Outrage from Sheriff Jim Cooper, Gov. Gavin Newsom, victims, and lawmakers demands reforms to exclude violent sex offenders.
- Program stems from prison overcrowding fixes but fuels debate on recidivism data versus moral accountability.
- Release pending from Chino prison, with possible sexually violent predator evaluation.
Funston’s Reign of Terror in Sacramento Suburbs
David Allen Funston targeted Sacramento County suburbs from 1995 to 1996. He lured six girls and one boy, all under age 7, with candy and toys before kidnapping and molesting them. A neighbor’s license plate report led to his arrest. In 1999, courts convicted him on 16 counts, imposing three consecutive 25-to-life terms plus 20 years and 8 months. The sentencing judge labeled him the monster parents fear most. Victims recount lasting trauma from his calculated predation.
Elderly Parole Program Origins and Expansion
Federal court orders addressed California’s prison overcrowding, birthing the Elderly Parole Program in 2018 for inmates 60 and older after 25 years served. Lawmakers expanded it in 2021 to those 50 and older after 20 years. The Board of Parole Hearings evaluates age, incarceration length, and diminished capacity for low recidivism risk. Studies support lower reoffense rates among elderly releasees. Unlike death penalty or life without parole cases, the program includes sex offenders and most murderers.
Funston qualified post-2021 expansion after serving over 25 years past age 50. At 64, housed at California Institution for Men in Chino, BPH deemed him low-risk due to advanced age, long confinement, and physical decline. He expressed shame in hearings. Program data shows promise: in 2019-20, 98% of 221 releases stayed crime-free after three years. Yet precedents like rapist Cody Klemp’s parole after 27 years of a 170-year sentence mirror this controversy.
Stakeholders Clash Over Release Decision
Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper condemned the parole as dead wrong, stating Funston stole childhoods and deserves no second chance. Original prosecutors and victims voiced horror, with one saying such offenders never merit release. Assemblymember Maggy Krell, a Democrat with prosecutor roots, proposes bills mandating sexually violent predator referrals before elderly parole for sex offenders. Gov. Gavin Newsom requested BPH reconsideration, bowing to public pressure.
BPH wields statutory power but bends under political heat from Cooper, Krell, and Newsom. Victims and law enforcement amplify outcry through media without veto authority. CDCR implements neutrally, confirming the February 18, 2026 finalization. Funston seeks freedom; reformers demand exclusions aligning with common sense that protects innocents over predators.
Latest Outcry and Reform Momentum
Late February 2026 reporting by Los Angeles Times broke the story, prompting Sheriff Cooper’s news conference. Newsom’s review request and Krell’s legislation signal bipartisan push. No release date or destination surfaces yet. Possible SVP commitment looms but remains unconfirmed. Short-term, Sacramento families brace for fear; long-term, the case tests program viability against low stats.
Blue State Justice: 'Monster' CA Child Predator to Be Released Because He's Not a Threat at Age 64https://t.co/ZQRsld3nES
— RedState Updates (@RedStateUpdates) February 26, 2026
Social erosion hits justice trust, branded Blue State failure. Political winds favor stricter criteria, pressuring CDCR and BPH. Economic trade-offs pit SVP costs against prison savings. Critics like Cooper argue facts outweigh data for monsters; recidivism drops with age ring hollow against victim scars. Reforms excluding violent sex offenders restore common-sense safeguards American conservatives champion.
Sources:
Serial Northern California child molester granted parole despite life sentences (KTLA/KTVU)
