Governor again blocks parole for Dystiny Myers killer: ‘An unreasonable danger to society’
One of the men convicted of killing 15-year-old Dystiny Myers will not be released on parole after Gov. Gavin Newsom once again blocked his release this week.
According to a San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office news release, Newsom granted San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow’s request to reverse the parole of Jason Greenwell on Thursday.
Greenwell was convicted of second-degree murder for the killing of Myers in Nipomo in 2010. The body of the Santa Maria teenager was found beaten and partially burned near Santa Margarita Lake.
He was one of five defendants who were convicted for the crime, along with Ty Michael Hill, Frank Jacob York, Rhonda Wisto and Cody Miller.
Greenwell was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison, and became eligible for parole in January 2021. According to the release, Greenwell has to date only served 13 years of his sentence.
This was the second time Greenwell was granted release by the Parole Board, according to the District Attorney’s Office. It was also the second time Newsom blocked Greenwell’s parole.
He was first granted parole suitability in November 2021, but Newsom reversed the decision in March 2022, after the District Attorney’s Office sent a letter requesting Greenwell stay in prison.
Greenwell was then once again granted parole suitability in April, prompting another letter from the District Attorney’s Office once again urging Newsom to block the parole.
In his written decision Thursday, Newsom said the evidence showed Greenwell still “poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time.”
“I commend Mr. Greenwell’s continued rehabilitative efforts and encourage him to continue on this positive path,” Newsom wrote. “However, I find that he must do additional work before he can be safely released.”
This story was originally published September 15, 2023 at 7:03 PM.
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