Teen killer of 8-year-old Maddy Middleton, now 25, denied parole in Santa Cruz County

A convicted child-killer and rapist was denied parole by a jury, according to prosecutors, nearly a decade since his crimes shocked Santa Cruz County and the rest of the country.

The jury found that Adrian Gonzalez -- who kidnapped, raped, and murdered 8-year-old Madyson "Maddy" Middleton in Santa Cruz in July 2015 -- would pose a danger if released, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office said in a statement Thursday.

"The entire community felt the loss of Maddy Middleton in 2015, and the effects of the crime are still felt. Adrian Gonzalez poses as much danger to our community today as he did the day the crime was committed. The verdict of the jury demonstrates that members of this community will not permit him to be released until he no longer poses a danger," Chief Deputy District Attorney Tara George said.

On July 26, 2015, Madyson was lured into another apartment by Gonzalez, who duct-taped her mouth shut and sexually assaulted her. He then stabbed and strangled her to death before he dumped her body in a dumpster.

Gonzalez, who was 15 years and 8 months old at the time of the crime, was charged two days later as an adult and was set for trial in 2017. However, his case became legally complicated as then-California governor Jerry Brown controversially signed Senate Bill 1391 into law in 2018, which specified that under no circumstances could a 14- or 15-year-old be tried as an adult.

Despite opposition from district attorneys, law enforcement agencies and victims' rights groups, a Supreme Court ruling later confirmed the legality of Senate Bill 1391 and prevented Gonzalez from being tried as an adult.

Gonzalez entered the Department of Juvenile Justice on May 25, 2021, and stayed there until its closure on June 19, 2023. After its closure, he was sent to a Secure Youth Treatment facility in Sonoma County where he was incarcerated until he turned 25 in 2024.

In July, a probable cause hearing was conducted to determine whether Gonzalez still poses a danger to the community or he should stay in custody for two more years. The judge approved a jury trial, which started on Nov. 7. The trial, which lasted three and a half months, found that Adrian should not be released from custody.

According to prosecutors, a jury trial is needed every two years if Gonzalez continues to pose a danger.