A California man who killed a Los Angeles mom of six lower than a 12 months after being paroled for a double homicide below a youthful offender legislation was sentenced to life in jail, authorities stated Friday.
Darryl Lamar Collins, 55, was sentenced for the killing of his girlfriend, Fatima Johnson, a 53-year-old mom of six who was discovered useless by her daughters in her condominium July 4, 2021.
She was discovered along with her wrists and ankles certain with shoelaces and duct tape, she was gagged with underwear and duct tape was positioned over her mouth and nostril.
Collins stole Johnson’s mobile phone, jewellery and her Lexus, prosecutors stated. Hours after the homicide, he pawned two of her necklaces and bought her automobile for medicine.
The killing occurred 364 days after he was launched from jail for 2 earlier murders.
“Darryl Collins took three harmless lives. As we speak’s sentence isn’t nearly punishment. It’s additionally about safety from this sociopath to make sure he won’t ever stroll free once more,” Los Angeles County District Legal professional Nathan Hochman stated.
“This case exhibits precisely what can occur when somebody with a historical past of maximum violence is launched from jail early. We will solely hope that three households who’ve skilled unimaginable loss discover some measure of peace understanding he won’t ever once more be again in our communities.”
Collins had beforehand been convicted of two separate murders in 1995 and was sentenced to 2 consecutive phrases of 25 years to life.
Nonetheless, he was launched after serving 25 years — half of his sentence — below a youthful offender parole provision enacted by state lawmakers in 2017. The legislation raised the cutoff for youthful offender parole from age 23 to age 25.
On the time of the 2 earlier murders, Collins was 24.
“Had the state legislature not modified the legislation in 2017, nearly 20 years after Collins’ sentencing, elevating the age cutoff from 23 to 25 for youthful offender parole, Collins would have been behind bars quite than on the road and capable of senselessly and brutally take one other harmless life,” stated Hochman.
On Sept. 17, 1995, Collins carjacked Derrick Reese, 28, who was utilizing a payphone. After taking the automobile, Collins backed up and shot Reese at the least twice, killing him.
Eleven days later, Collins tried to rob a diner the place Thomas Weiss, 44, was working as a cashier. Collins held Weiss at gunpoint and fatally shot Weiss within the face.
On Jan. 15, 1998, Collins was sentenced to 50 years to life imprisonment.
The California Parole Board has come below heavy scrutiny in current weeks after it discovered two convicted serial baby rapists — David Funston and Gregory Vogelsang — appropriate for early launch regardless of at the least one admitting he nonetheless fantasizes about kids.
US Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Calif., cited Collins’ legal historical past whereas calling for a evaluation of the board’s choices and state early launch legal guidelines.
“California’s reckless legal guidelines and runaway Parole Board are getting our residents killed,” Kiley wrote on X.
Fox Information Digital has reached out to the Parole Board.
