Overview
- A three‑member panel in November granted parole to Gregory Lee Vogelsang, 57, who was sentenced to 355 years to life for multiple child sex crimes in the Sacramento area in the 1990s.
- The governor’s office has sent the case to the California Board of Parole Hearings for an en banc review set for March 18, leaving any release on hold.
- Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho and Sheriff Jim Cooper condemned the decision, with Ho saying Vogelsang’s hearing included remarks about ongoing fantasies and citing an above‑average risk assessment.
- Republican lawmakers intensified calls to overhaul elderly parole and replace commissioners, and Assemblyman Tom Lackey said he is introducing legislation to tighten eligibility.
- A recent parallel case involving David Allen Funston shows how local prosecutors can block releases, as new Placer County charges led to his arrest hours before his scheduled freedom.