Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 06/18/04

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Chief Deputy Larry Scoufos Deputy District Attorney: Alexander J. McMahon

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

CONVICTED KILLER DENIED PAROLE

State Prison inmate Vernon Bragg was denied parole for the fourth time last Tuesday, June 15th, after a Board of Prison Terms hearing at Soledad State Prison. In 1985, Bragg pled no contest to second degree murder in the killing of Raymond A. Rasmussen of Guerneville.

The crime took place in 1982 when Bragg and a co-defendant lured Mr. Rasmussen into a garage of a home in the Guerneville area. Bragg shot Rasmussen once in the back of the neck. Bragg later transported Rasmussen’s body to another location near Monte Rio and buried the body under a house. Rasmussen’s remains were not discovered until 1984 when an informant notified authorities.

After the hearing, which was attended by Rasmussen’s parents and Deputy District Attorney Alexander J. McMahon, the Board of Prison Terms ruled that Bragg would not be eligible for his next parole hearing until 2008.