Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

A Manteca mother fears that her son’s murderer may soon be released from prison.  The crime was committed about 27 years ago by a deranged ex-boyfriend of the victim’s fiancée (whom he also shot to death); however, instead of getting what he deserved for this double murder, an overly lenient judge sentenced him to two 25-year terms!  Oh, well, you take what you can get in this bizarre system; after all, 50 years is better than nothing, right?  But here’s the kicker, because this killer has been a “model prisoner” he will be eligible for parole 20 years early, on May 11, 2010!
 I know that there have been wrongful executions from time to time, however if there has ever been a smoking gun, led-pipe cinch of a case, this was it.  If ever a perpetrator needed to walk up the 13 stairs, feel the rope placed around his neck, feel the trap released beneath his feet, and fall to the end of the rope, this was it! (Lethal injection is for good dogs.)  Now, because the state couldn’t do its duty to rid this kind of menace from the world of the living, this poor woman has to be victimized again with fear and sorrow.  And to add insult to injury, this piece of flotsam was allowed conjugal visits and has sired a child while in prison (which is being supported by tax dollars, along with the loser that bore it, on welfare)!  There needs to be laws passed which forbid conjugal visits for heinous criminals.  

This judge needs to be disbarred for gross malfeasance!  Even though the argument can be made that this was a crime of passion, I don’t care!  You kill, you die!  Whether you’re insane, only 7 years old, were abused by your gym teacher, didn’t have a car in high school, or any other mitigation imaginable!  You kill, you die.  This is the only way that some members of society will ever finally realize that this behavior is unacceptable.  It’s too easy to twitch a trigger-finger when there’s no real fear of retribution in kind.  This should be taught in kindergarten; at least in grade-school!  The only mitigation for killing is self-defense.  There was a time when fear of what family members might do was enough to keep murder and rape in check, or at least down to a dull roar; but no, that’s not politically correct anymore!  

Well, it’s too late to execute in this case but to give this double murderer an early-out would be an insult to justice.  Please help by either signing a petition (call 823-3597) or by writing a letter to the parole board not to parole William Walters Nichols.  Correspondence should be addressed to the Ironwood State Prison, Box 2229, 19005 Wiley’s Well Road, Blythe, CA 92226 (concerning William Walter Nichols, Case # 91961).