(KRON) — The California Board of Parole denied granting freedom for a Monterey County man who “slaughtered” 4 members of the family when he was 19-years-old.
Harold Bicknell stabbed his grandmother, his 6-year-old cousin, and two extra cousins to dying on August 9, 1977. His killing spree was triggered by members of the family who came upon that he had impregnated an underage woman, prosecutors stated. Bicknell’s parole was denied Wednesday.
Monterey County District Legal professional’s Workplace wrote, “Regardless of a number of confessions, in various environments … Mr. Bicknell claims to be harmless. The parole commissioners discovered the denial implausible.”
The quadruple killing occurred inside Bicknell’s grandmother’s home in Seaside. On August 9, 1977, Bicknell arrived on the home along with his pregnant 14-year-old girlfriend, recognized by prosecutors as “Terri M.”
Bicknell’s grandmother, Josephine Smith, lived within the Seaside home together with her 28-year-old daughter, Suzanne Harris, her 15-year-old granddaughter, Renee Ferguson, and her 6-year-old granddaughter, Rachel Harris.
Bicknell confronted his teen cousin, Renee, as a result of he was offended that she uncovered his sexual relationship with Terri, prosecutors stated.
Bicknell cornered Renee in a bed room and stabbed her within the coronary heart, inflicting her to fall on the mattress, in response to the DA’s Workplace. Prosecutors wrote, “He then grabbed her bra and tied her palms behind her again as a result of she started to wrestle. Mr. Bicknell then stabbed her the within the throat repeatedly, whereas Terri M. held a gag over her mouth.”
When Suzanne Harris walked in and noticed what occurred to Renee, Bicknell chased her into the kitchen, stabbed her till she fell to the ground, and attacked his grandmother, prosecutors stated.
The youngest member of the family in the home, 6-year-old Rachel, was stabbed over 40 occasions, prosecutors stated. Bicknell testified that Terri M. stabbed the little woman earlier than he started stabbing Rachel additionally.
A jury convicted the teenaged killer of 4 murders based mostly on proof that included eyewitness testimony and his personal pre-trial confessions. Following his conviction, Bicknell made an in depth, taped confession along with his legal professional current, reiterated his involvement throughout his sentencing listening to, and once more confessed whereas testifying in opposition to Terri M.
Terri M., who was pregnant with Bicknell’s youngster, gave start. The infant was adopted and ultimately grew to become a legislation enforcement officer. “He spent a few years devoted to making sure his father remained in custody. He fashioned a detailed bond along with his aunts, Mr. Bicknell’s sisters,” prosecutors wrote.
On February 22, 2019, the Board of Parole granted Bicknell parole, citing a clear report whereas
within the California Division of Corrections, his youthful age on the time of the murders, and an abusive childhood.
“The victims’ surviving members of the family have been blindsided by this determination, having been underneath the impression that Mr. Bicknell would doubtless by no means be paroled,” prosecutors wrote. Surviving household wrote letters opposing his launch. Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the parole board’s 2019 determination.
Bicknell’s son “tragically died on June 23, 2021, however his aunts vowed to proceed to battle the battle to maintain Mr. Bicknell in custody,” prosecutors wrote. Bicknell confronted a brand new parole board in November of 2021, and parole was denied for 3 years.
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Three of Bicknell’s sisters spoke at each the 2021 listening to and a 2023 listening to, urging the board to not launch their brother from jail. Their brother’s set off seemed to be feminine members of the family, the sisters emphasised, and they might not really feel protected with their brother free.
A prosecutors with the Monterey County District Legal professional’s Workplace reiterated that Bicknell’s “lies, and implausible denials made it unimaginable to deem him now not a hazard to society.”
On July 5, 2023, the panel agreed and denied parole.
Bricknell is now 65 years previous and has served greater than 4 many years in jail. He stays locked in San Quentin State Jail, state inmate information present.
