The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney is asking the governor to stop the early release of a former Paso Robles resident who killed their daughter while under the influence of meth.
In 2013, a judge sentenced Allie Brown– formerly Herbert David Brown III– to 15 years to life for the second degree murder of their 22-month-old daughter, Lily. Last week, the Board of Parole Hearings granted Brown parole, cutting 3 years off the original sentence.
District Attorney Dan Dow has urged Governor Gavin Newsom to block this decision, calling Brown a safety threat. In a letter to the governor, Dow points out the severity of Brown’s crime along with a history of misconduct in prison.
A forensic psychologist also reportedly found in 2023 that Brown poses a "moderate-to-high" risk of violence.
“Inmate Brown has not adequately prepared plans for preventing his own relapse into domestic violence or mental health issues,” Dow said. “The forensic psychologist who analyzed his current risk assessment certainly gave lots of reasons, in my opinion, for the board to have relied upon to say he's not safe to return to the community.”
Newsom has 30 days to reverse the parole decision, which he has done in past cases. Dow is asking the public to write letters to get the governor’s attention.
“I'm speaking out on behalf of Lily and on behalf of Lily's mom, Dawn Sommer, and urging the governor to please give us justice for Lily by having inmate Brown serve another, at least, several years in prison,” Dow said.
According to Dow, Brown’s early parole is the result of Proposition 57, a 2016 law that allows even violent offenders to earn extra credits to shorten their sentences.
Dow notes that his opposition is based on Brown’s crime and behavior in prison– not Brown’s name change or gender identity.
