Man convicted of 1981 murder for hire denied parole
A parole board denied convicted murderer
Jessie Ray Biggs release on parole during a hearing on Thursday, according to a press release from the Yuba County District Attorney’s Office.
Biggs, 65, is currently incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison. He was sent to prison in 1983 after a Yuba County jury found him guilty of shooting Monty Anderson, 50, in the kitchen of Anderson’s Erle Road home while his wife and children were in the next room. The killing took place on Dec. 14, 1981.
The jury also found that Biggs had committed the murder for financial gain. Anderson’s wife, Caroline Rose Anderson, then 38, had promised Biggs $1,000 for the murder and had given him $500 as a down payment. Biggs was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the release.
In December 2018,
Gov. Jerry Brown commuted Biggs’ sentence to 36 years to life, making him eligible to be released on parole. Biggs incurred three rules violations during his 36 years in prison prior to 2018; maintained employment and satisfactory work ratings for more than 17 years; participated in self-help classes; facilitated victims awareness classes; and wrote letters to young people about his life experiences. Brown cited Biggs’ remorse and rehabilitation as reasons for commuting his sentence.
The commutation was opposed by the Yuba County District Attorney Patrick Mcgrath. The parole suitability hearing took place at Mule Creek State Prison on Thursday and two commissioners from the Board of Parole Hearings conducted the hearing via video conference.
After arguments from Yuba County District Attorney Clint Curry and Biggs’ attorney, the commissioners found that Biggs still poses an unreasonable risk to public safety, according to the release. Biggs’ prison stints prior to the murder, the nature of the murder and his ongoing minimization of his past conduct went into the board’s decision.
Biggs could apply for parole again in three years, according to the release.
Caroline Anderson was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for her 1982 guilty plea to firstdegree murder. She was released on parole in the 2000s.