(Woodland, CA) – August 23, 2019- On August 22, 2019, a two-commissioner panel of the Board of Parole Hearings denied parole to convicted 60-year-old Javiad Akhtar who was convicted of attempted murder by a jury in 2002.
In 2001, Akhtar went to the home of his estranged wife and their two children, in violation of a restraining order. He cut the phone line to the house and broke in through a side window. When his wife and children returned home, Akhtar came out of a back room and shot his wife with a BB gun as she tried to flee. He struck her in the head with the gun, causing the gun to break. Akhtar then dragged his wife into the kitchen where he proceeded to stab her repeatedly in the head, throat, and body. The attack occurred in front of their two children. After leaving his wife to die, Akhtar took his two children and put them in the car. When his ten-year-old daughter asked him why he hurt her mother, Akhtar told her to be quiet or he would throw her out of the car under the wheels of the car. The victim was found severely injured approximately 12 hours after the attack. When deputies found her, they immediately called for a Life Flight helicopter. Paramedics rushed her to the hospital and she ultimately survived.
On March 30, 2002 a Yolo County jury found Akhtar guilty of Attempted Premeditated Murder, Torture, Cutting a Phone Line, Violation of Restraining Order, and Child Abuse. On October 11, 2002, a Yolo County Judge sentenced Akhtar to life in prison.
At the parole hearing, the Parole Board ruled that Akhtar would still pose a continued risk to public safety should he be released from prison. The Commissioners cited the horrific nature of the crime, as well as Akhtar’s lack of insight into his criminality.
Former Yolo County Deputy District Attorney Jay Linden represented the Yolo District Attorney’s Office at the hearing. Linden now is a deputy at the El Dororado District Attorney’s office.
District Attorney Jeff Reisig commented on the horrific nature of the crime. “This horrible crime is an example of how domestic violence can lead to a gruesome murder,” said Reisig. “As Domestic Violence Awareness Month is in October and starts in a few days, we must all think what we can do to combat domestic violence in our community.”
Akhtar will be eligible for parole again in three years.
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