Ranzo family to fight release of another convicted killer of Modesto couple
MODESTO — Darren Lee, one of four men who brutally murdered Modesto couple Philip and Kathy Ranzo in 1979, has been granted parole.
Maurene Todd-Ranzo, the couple's ex-daughter-in-law, said she and the Ranzo family feel let down by the government.
"It's slap in the face to the family and just a shock that they would actually do it," Ranzo said. "This one, of course, we're all shocked and can't believe that that it's happening, and we really don't have faith in the governor that he's going to reverse it. So it's going to be another long process where we're going to have to probably have another en banc hearing."
Lee, Jeffrey Allen Maria, Marty Spears and Ronald Anderson and Darren Lee were entered the Ranzos' home pretending to need help with gas before brutally killing the couple.
The four were found guilty of first-degree murder and were each sentenced at the time to two life sentences without the possibility of parole for the torture, rape and murder of the Ranzos.
In the 1980s, the four were re-sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences with the possibility of parole.
This was Lee's ninth attempt at being granted parole. The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office released a statement that said prosecutor Amy Neumann urged against the release of Lee, citing "that he needed additional insight into the role he played in the killings."
"After deliberations, the Board determined that Lee qualified for elderly parole and youthful offender considerations, and that he did not pose a risk to public safety," the statement continued.
Ranzo is calling on community members to write and email Governor Gavin Newsom to reverse the decision within the allotted 90-day period.
"They can write letters to the governor. There's a template on my Facebook page, just letting him know it's a mistake and that they're afraid that he'll re-offend," Ranzo said. "It's just it's not safe for society for him to be out walking the streets."