- Lake County News reports
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Man convicted of 1977 murder denied parole for 13th time
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A man convicted of brutally stabbing to death an elderly Lucerne resident in 1977 was denied parole again during a hearing this week.
The Board of Parole Hearings denied parole for convicted murderer Jeffery Scott Sargent, 64, during a Wednesday hearing, according to Lake County Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
Hinchcliff attended the lifer hearing at the Department of Corrections California Medical Facility in Vacaville to argue against Sargent’s release.
This was Sargent’s 13th parole hearing since his conviction in 1978, according to Hinchcliff.
Sargent was convicted of the first-degree murder of 88-year-old Gedney Robinson and sentenced to seven years to life on May 15, 1978, Hinchcliff reported
Superior Court Judge John Golden handed down the sentence in the case, which originally was prosecuted by then-District Attorney Robert L. Crone Jr.
Sargent's minimum eligible parole date was Oct. 28, 1984, Hinchcliff said.
According to investigation reports by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, on Sept. 22, 1977, a report was received from Fresno Police that a 1974 Ford belonging to Robinson was going to be used in a robbery.
When deputies responded to the victim’s small cabin on Second Avenue in Lucerne, they found the front door broken and Robinson dead inside.
Robinson had just returned home the same day from a rock collecting trip to Nevada. He had been stabbed seven times – five times in the heart and two times in the back – according to the investigation.
Sargent took a ring off Robinson’s finger, $40 from his wallet, and his vehicle, the investigation found.
When arrested, Sargent denied any involvement. However, the investigation revealed that Sargent was a career criminal who had just been paroled from prison and had gone to Lake County two days before the murder to see his wife, who was living near Robinson.
Sargent had been using heroin and PCP at the time of the murder. Some of the stolen property was located in Sargent’s possession, and the investigation revealed that Sargent had lied to investigators about his involvement.
Following a mistrial, Sargent pleaded guilty to first degree murder in exchange for a special circumstance allegation being dropped.
At the three-hour hearing on Wednesday, Sargent indicated that he had gone to the residence of Robinson, whom he had never met before, and asked to use the phone.
Sargent stated that they had gotten into an argument inside Robinson's residence, Robinson began to choke Sargent and Sargent stabbed Robinson to defend himself.
At the time of the murder, Sargent was 28 years old, and Robinson was 88 years old and had difficulty seeing and hearing.
Hinchcliff asked the Board of Prison Hearings to deny Sargent’s parole on the ground that he still presented an unreasonable risk of danger to the public if released, and failed to exhibit any remorse or accept responsibility for his conduct.
Robinson’s niece, his only living relative, also attended the hearing to ask the parole commissioners to deny parole.
The Board of Parole Hearings determined that Sargent did still present a risk of danger to the public if released at this time and denied parole.
Sargent’s next parole hearing will be in three years, Hinchcliff said.