September 23, 2005, San Diego County DDA Richard Sachs, DA to Request Parole be Denied for Murderer Brenda Spencer in 1979 San Carlos School Shooting,

September 23, 2005, San Diego County DDA Richard Sachs, DA to Request Parole be Denied for Murderer Brenda Spencer in 1979 San Carlos School Shooting, 

San Diego District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis announced today that her office will request that double murderer Brenda Spencer’s request for parole be denied at a hearing next week because she is still a risk to society. 

Spencer was 16 when she opened fire with a .22-calibre rifle on Cleveland Elementary School across the street from her San Carlos home in January 1979, killing Principal Burton Wragg and Custodian Mike Suchar and wounding a San Diego Police officer and eight students. She was convicted of two counts of first degree murder and nine counts of assault with a deadly weapon in October 1979. Spencer was sentenced to 25 years-to-life in prison in April 1980. 

“Brenda Spencer remains an unquestionable risk of harm to society if released,” DA Dumanis said. “She shattered the lives of many innocent people and they are still healing more than 25 years later.” 

One of the students who was shot and is now employed as a San Diego County Probation Officer plans to make a victim impact statement at the hearing. A videotaped statement from Principal Burton Wragg’s widow will also be played during the victim impact portion of the hearing. Letters from other victims and survivors will also be submitted. The DA’s Office will be represented by Richard Sachs, Supervising Deputy District Attorney of the Lifer Hearing Unit. Spencer is also expected to address the parole board. 

Spencer told a reporter that the reason she opened fire was because “I don’t like Mondays, this livens up the day.” She was reached by phone during the six-and-a-half-hour SWAT standoff. Approximately 36 shots were fired that day from a rifle fitted with a scope, with 11 rounds hitting their target. Spencer told prison officials that she felt unwanted at the time of the shootings and was jealous of the other kids who had someone to protect them. 

Spencer’s parole hearing is scheduled for Sept. 27, 2005 at 1:30 p.m. at the California Institute for Women in Riverside County (16756 Chino Corona Rd., Corona, CA 92880). She was denied parole at her last hearing in April 2001. If the parole board does not grant her parole, she can be denied another hearing for one to five years.