(Woodland, CA) Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig announced today that on January 29, 2014 a Board of Parole Hearings panel denied parole for convicted murderer Timothy Wilson. The six hour hearing which took place at California State Prison, Solano was delayed and did not conclude until 11:30 pm. Commissioner Marisela Montes and Deputy Commissioner Ted Rich unanimously agreed to deny Wilson parole for a period of seven years after deliberating for over an hour.
A Yolo County Jury convicted Wilson of Second Degree Murder in 1994 and Wilson was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison. Wilson, then age 23, savagely beat to death 46-year-old John O’Friel, a Bay area software salesman, at a Davis park on July 8, 1993. Wilson then dumped O’Friel’s body in a rural part of Yolo County and took the O’Friel’s car and personal property to the San Francisco area where Wilson lived. Wilson was not arrested until almost a month later. The jury convicted Wilson’s 17-year-old accomplice, Josh Coleman, of involuntary manslaughter.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven appeared at the hearing on behalf of the Yolo County District’s Attorney’s Office. Raven argued against Wilson’s release based upon his inability to take full responsibility for the murder and also due to the fact that he admitted being dishonest about the details of the crime. Raven told the panel “Wilson today was proven to be a manipulative liar who continues to pose an unreasonable risk of danger to the public.”
The widow of the victim, Carol O’Friel, and five of their seven children attended the hearing. This was the 43-year-old Wilson’s third parole hearing. At the last hearing he was denied parole for five years. In addressing the panel and the inmate, Ms. O’Friel stated “The grief of this loss is like living with chronic back pain. The pain doesn’t go away, you just learn how to cope with it better.”
Commissioner Montes read the decision and addressed the inmate after 11 pm. “You savagely beat him to death so the victim’s body was defiled so that his face had to be veiled at his funeral. Nobody should have to leave the world in that fashion.” She concluded, “Mr. Wilson currently poses an unreasonable risk and threat to public safety at this time.”
According to District Attorney Jeff Reisig, “The result of a seven year denial of parole means that the family will not have to travel to a prison and face Wilson again for many years, which is the benefit of Marsy’s Law.” Wilson will not be eligible for parole until January, 2021.
Victim John O’Friel
Victim John O’Friel reading to four of his children
