Convicted Marin Child Abuser To Be Released On Parole
MARIN COUNTY (BCN) -- A Marin County man who was convicted of neglecting and abusing his 12 children, one of whom starved to death, will be released on supervised parole Monday, the Marin County District Attorney's Office said.
Winnfred Wright was sentenced in March 2003 to 16 years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to six counts of child abuse, Marin County District Attorney Ed Berberian said.
Berberian said the victims were Wright's 12 children between 19 months and 17 years old, whom he fathered with three female codefendants known as "The Family" and who lived in Marinwood.
Wright's 19-month-old son Ndigo Campisi-Nyah-Wright died of starvation in November 2001.
Wright and the boy's biological mother, Mary Campbell, initially pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, manslaughter and child neglect.
Campbell also pleaded guilty to child endangerment that ended in death and other three other child neglect charges. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Berberian said the Marin County District Attorney's Office learned Wright might be released on unsupervised, "non-revocable parole," and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation could not force Wright to attend a batterer's program or prohibit him from contacting the victims.
"Obviously, Wright being placed on non-revocable parole release is very disturbing," Berberian said in a news release Tuesday.
"I have personally spoken to the Cabinet Secretary for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and expressed my desire to have this decision changed."
Berberian said his office then learned Tuesday afternoon that the supervision level of Wright's release had been modified, and Wright will not be released on non-revocable parole.
"Everyone is aware of the severe financial pressures that the state's public agencies are facing, but public safety needs have to be put ahead of potential short-term financial savings," Berberian said Tuesday afternoon in a subsequent news release.
"The acknowledgement that Winnfred Wright's release required close parole supervision is the correct decision."
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