April 1, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

LAPD Union Representatives Lash Out Against Decision to Release Murderer from 1985

The union representing Los Angeles police officers lashed out Wednesday at a decision by the state Parole Board to release a man who helped plan the 1985 Halloween murder of an LAPD detective who was ambushed while picking up his 6-year-old son.

Voltaire Alphonse Williams was convicted in 1989 of conspiracy in the plot to kill 42-year-old Los Angeles police Detective Thomas Williams, who was not related to him. He was acquitted of a first-degree murder charge.

“If you murder a police officer, you should go to prison for the rest of your life,” according to the Los Angeles Police Protective League. “It is outrageous that the Parole Board has again granted parole to Voltaire Williams, who helped orchestrate the murder of LAPD Detective Thomas Williams in front of his son.”

Williams, then 25 years old, was sentenced in April 1989 to 25 years to life in prison.

Daniel Jenkins, the gunman who sprayed machine gun fire at the detective outside his son’s Canoga Park day care center, was sentenced in 1988 to death. Another accomplice, Ruben Moss, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The three men plotted to kill the detective out of revenge for his testimony against Jenkins in a robbery case. A series of other would-be gunmen were solicited to murder the detective even before he testified, and several backed out before Jenkins took matters into his own hands, according to court documents.

In October, a state parole panel recommended that Voltaire Williams be released. Gov. Jerry Brown — who did not have the authority to unilaterally overturn the decision, as he does for inmates convicted of murder — sent the case back to the full Board of Parole Hearings, along with a letter saying he opposes Williams’ release.

On Tuesday, the board rejected Brown’s plea and upheld the decision to grant Williams parole. According to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the board’s order will likely be received by officials at State Prison Solano on Thursday, and inmates are typically released “to parole supervision” within five days of that letter being received.

The department does not release information on the exact date or location of an inmate’s release.

Williams was also recommended for parole in 2015 by a parole panel, and Brown also referred that case back to the full Board of Parole Hearings, which decided at that time not to release him.

The LAPPL blasted the board’s latest decision to release Williams, calling it “an affront to every peace officer who risks their lives to protect others on a daily basis.”

“Voltaire Williams has no compassion for Detective Williams’ family and colleagues. He does not deserve freedom,” according to the union.

In his letter to the parole board, Brown acknowledged efforts made by Williams, now 54, to “improve himself” while in prison, including obtaining his GED, earning vocational certifications and receiving positive work ratings while participating in self-help programs. But the governor called the detective’s killing a “cold-blooded and cowardly crime.”

“Clearly, Mr. Williams has additional work to do to understand more fully the impact and legacy of this crime,” Brown wrote. “It is a testament to the life and work of Detective Williams and a demonstration of the enduring consequences this crime had on the community that even 30 years after his murder, over 800 individuals have written to oppose Mr. Williams’ release from prison.”

Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys, also blasted the board’s decision to release Williams, saying the panel is “determined to release life-sentence inmates regardless of their dangerousness to society.”

“Inmate Williams was supposed to shoot Detective Williams himself,” Hanisee said. “When the person who had hired him decided to commit the murder on his own, Williams chose not to inform authorities.

… It is clear that in their (parole board members’) minds, when an inmate has served a certain portion of their sentence they should be released, and any future harm they cause can be dealt with via a new prosecution. A rubber stamp could hardly do worse.”

Futuristic Police Badge

Related Posts

(Video) Spending an Afternoon at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Go To Pacpark.com For Tickets and More Information. Go To https://t.co/fDDgcY6b3e For Tickets and More Information.#amusementpark #rides #rollercoaster #summer #spring...

Matū Kai to Debut in Brentwood With Grass Fed Wagyu and Global Flair This Week

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Farm-To-Fork Beef, Wood-Fired Flavors, and Sustainability Meet on San Vicente The team behind Beverly Hills’ acclaimed steakhouse Matū has expanded...

Mid-City Freeway Death Under Investigation After Caltrans Workers Find Blanket-Covered Body

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Woman Discovered on 10 Freeway Shoulder Identified; CHP Launches Probe Caltrans workers discovered a woman’s dead body around 9:00 a.m....

Community Support Saves Beloved West Hollywood Café from Closure

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Packed Tables and Emotional Messages Helped Keep the Doors Open Le Petit Four, the popular Sunset Boulevard café known for...

Egg Beaters Recalled Over Possible Chemical Contamination

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Massive Liquid Egg Recall Includes California Shipments Cargill Kitchen Solutions is recalling approximately 212,268 pounds of liquid egg products after...

Los Angeles County’s Measure A Raises Sales Tax On April 1, And It’s No Joke

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Culver City, and Malibu Will See Higher Increases Starting April 1, Los Angeles County residents will...

Robbery Boast on Instagram Helps Send Beverly Hills Heist Suspect to Prison

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Flashy Post, Federal Time: Smash-and-Grab Mastermind Sentenced Ladell Tharpe, 39, received an 84-month sentence from U.S. District Judge George H....

Culver City Rolls Out Hi-Lo Siren to Warn Residents During Emergencies

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Hi-Lo Warning System Activated: Culver City Adds New Evacuation Tool In an effort to strengthen emergency preparedness and public safety,...

Union Workers at UCLA to Strike April 1 Over Staffing Shortages, Labor Disputes

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Healthcare and Research Staff at UC to Strike, Alleging Unfair Labor Practices More than 20,000 healthcare, research, and technical professionals...

School of Rock Students Shine in Winter Performance Despite Widespread Fires

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Summer Camp Registration Opens Now By Susan Payne Wildfire devastation wreaked havoc in areas of Los Angeles this January with...

Full House Creator’s Cielo Drive Estate Returns With Massive Price Drop

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

Franklin’s Mansion, Once the Site of the Manson Tragedy, Back on Market Full House creator Jeff Franklin is returning to...

Santa Monica, Beverly Hills See Real Estate Shifts After L.A. Wildfires

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

Beverly Hills and Brentwood Listings Triple in Wake of January Fires Home sales and listings have shifted dramatically across Westside...

Deputies Open Fire on Suspect in West Hollywood, Triggering Street Closures

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

Suspect Shot by LASD in West Hollywood Domestic Violence Response Authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred Saturday evening in...

West Hollywood Resident Returns, Vandalizes Property, 30 Minutes After Eviction

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

“Neighbor From Hell” Tried to Re-Enter His Apartment and Damaged Property Valentino Lopez, a 41 year old, male Hispanic, was...

New Deadline, More Access: LA County Debris Program Expands Scope, Extends Signup

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

Officials Broaden Scope to Help More Residents, Encourage Early Submission Los Angeles County officials have announced that FEMA has agreed...