Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 01/27/04

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Chief Deputy Larry Scoufos Deputy District Attorney: Barry McBride

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

Parole Denied for Inmate Robert Mills

Parole was denied for convicted murderer Robert Mills after a hearing before the Board of Prison Terms on January 22, 2004, at the High Desert State Prison in Susanville.

A Sonoma County jury convicted Mills in 1989 of first degree murder in the torture death of his 25 month old stepdaughter, Kari Strong. He was also convicted of infliction of cruel and unusual corporal punishment on a child and felony child endangerment. Mills was married to the victim’s mother and cared for the child when the mother was at work. In March, 1988 Kari was treated for a bone fracture while she was in Mills’ care. Child Protective Services was notified at the time. Mills claimed the child fell over a toy and the child’s mother denied responsibility.

On June 29, 1988, paramedics were summoned to the child’s residence. Kari was found to be unresponsive and badly bruised. Mills claimed the child fell off the bed. The child was airlifted to Children’s Hospital in San Francisco. She was diagnosed with bilateral retinal hemorrhage, suggestive of "shaken baby syndrome" and child abuse. Kari died the next day. There were over 40 traumatic injuries to the child, including head and abdominal trauma and spinal cord injuries.

Sonoma County Deputy District Attorney Barry McBride appeared before the Board and opposed a parole date being set for Mr. Mills.

In denying parole to Mills, the Board found that he had committed the offense in a heinous, cruel and callous manner on a particularly vulnerable victim. The Board found Mills did not participate in necessary prison programs, lacked adequate insight into the reasons for committing his crimes, was not candid and was a poor historian. He was found to be a danger to society if released from parole at this time. The next earliest parole hearing for Mr. Mills will be in January, 2008.