Samantha Green was convicted in death of Baby Justice in 2016
(Woodland, CA) – February 12, 2026 – Samantha Green, now 33 years old, who was convicted in the death of her infant son in 2016, was denied parole at her first parole hearing on February 12, 2026, by a two-commissioner panel of the Board of Parole Hearings. Green is currently serving her prison sentence at the California Institute for Women in Chino, California. The hearing was conducted remotely by video. Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven represented the Yolo County District Attorneys Office at the hearing.
On February 23, 2015, while high on methamphetamine, Green swam across a Knights Landing slough with her 19-day-old baby and passed out on the other side. She claimed she had gone there in search of her finance, and father of Baby Justice, Frank Rees, whom she suspected of cheating on her with another woman. At trial, evidence was presented that Rees was her drug dealer and that day had injected her with multiple doses of methamphetamine. Baby Justice, dressed in just a cotton onesie, died of exposure to the elements. Green found him dead next to her when she woke up the next morning at the slough. A jury convicted Green of 2nd degree murder, and on December 10, 2016, she was sentenced to 15-years-to-life in state prison. Rees was later convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter, Abusing or Endangering Health of a Child, and Administering Controlled Substance, and was sentenced to a six-year prison term as part of a plea deal in December, 2017. He was paroled in 2019.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Commissioner Julie Garland and Deputy Commissioner Cristina Guerrero both agreed that Green still posed “an unreasonable risk to public safety” should she be released from prison. During the hearing, evidence was presented from a 15-page Comprehensive Risk Assessment from November, 2025, prepared by a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation forensic psychologist. The psychologist rated Green a “High Risk” for future violence and concluded that at this time Green “was not prepared to behave differently on parole.” Commissioner Garland stated that Green had made “positive progress” but needed “additional programming in the areas of substance abuse, relationships, co-dependency, parenting, and domestic violence.”
Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig stated that he is proud of the efforts of his Lifer Parole Division. “This case is such a tragedy. We will continue to do everything we can to ensure justice is served. We also will continue to remember and honor Baby Justice and those impacted by his horrific death.”
Green will be eligible for parole again in three years.
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