A decision by California state parole officials to grant parole to David Allen Funston, a convicted serial child rapist, has sent shockwaves through the Sacramento community, sparking outrage from victims, local law enforcement, and concerned citizens. Funston, now 64, was sentenced in 1999 for the brutal kidnapping and sexual assault of young children in the Sacramento area during a 1995 crime spree. Despite receiving three consecutive life terms in prison, Funston was recently deemed eligible for release under California’s elderly parole law, which allows for the potential release of inmates over 60 who have served at least 25 years of their sentence.
Funston’s crime spree left an indelible mark on Sacramento, where he lured children, aged 3 to 7, into his car with promises of candy and toys, only to assault and abandon them on rural roads. The victims, all young children, were left traumatized, with some of them remembering chilling details about the man who stole their innocence. His crimes shocked the community, and his sentence was meant to keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.
Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper vehemently condemned the parole decision, expressing disbelief that a man responsible for such heinous crimes could be considered for release. In an emotional press conference, Cooper said, “This man stole their childhoods. The terror these children experienced is unimaginable. Letting him out doesn’t make sense. He deserves to remain in prison for the rest of his life.” Cooper, alongside former prosecutors and victim advocates, has called the decision an injustice to the victims and an affront to public safety.
The elderly parole program, created to address overcrowding in California’s prisons, has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of this decision. The program allows inmates who are at least 60 years old and have served 25 years to be considered for parole. However, the parole board’s decision to release Funston has reignited debates about whether violent offenders like him should be eligible for such programs. Critics argue that the law is being misapplied, and that serious sex offenders, particularly those who committed horrific crimes against children, should not be granted parole under any circumstances.
The case dates back to 1995 when Funston, a man with a prior sexual assault conviction from Colorado, began a spree of kidnapping and sexual assault in the Sacramento region. He abducted children from apartment complexes in neighborhoods like North Highlands and Foothill Farms, bringing them to remote locations where he assaulted and beat them before abandoning them, often miles from where he had taken them. His reign of terror finally ended after a neighbor saw Funston’s car during an attempted abduction, which led to his identification and eventual arrest.
In 1999, Funston was convicted of 16 counts of kidnapping and child molestation. The jury’s decision to impose multiple life sentences seemed to guarantee that he would never walk free. However, the passage of time and California’s elderly parole law have opened a door that many victims and their families believe should remain shut. Some victims, now adults, have expressed their outrage over the decision, stating that no amount of time served can undo the suffering Funston caused. One victim, who was just three years old at the time of the attack, said, “He deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison. The years he’s served are not enough for what he did to us.”
Retired Sacramento County detective Rafael Rodriguez, who worked on the original investigation, was equally outraged upon learning that Funston would soon be released. “He should have died in prison,” Rodriguez said. “The victims? They get a life sentence. They have to live with what he did to them every day.”
As the case moves forward, many are questioning the fairness of California’s parole system, especially when it comes to violent offenders who committed such egregious acts. While Funston’s parole may have been legal under the current framework, it has stirred a broader conversation about the rights of victims and the importance of ensuring that justice is truly served. For now, the community is left grappling with the realization that, despite the severity of his crimes, the man they once feared will soon be free once again.
