Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 07/12/06

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Deputy District Attorney: Charles Arden

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

Murderer Denied Parole

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced today that convicted murderer Michael Gitti was denied parole this week by the Board of Prison Terms. Gitti was convicted of Second Degree Murder for the September 2, 1993 killing of forty seven year old Brenda Martini. Gitti, then 26 years of age, lived with the victim in their apartment in Boyes Hot Springs.

In the early morning of September 2, 1993 Gitti came home strung out on crack cocaine. When Ms. Martini confronted him about his drug use, Gitti took an hammer and a meat cleaver and struck her numerous times on head and other parts of her body. She died shortly thereafter. Gitti then wrote "God loves us" in red across her chest. He then invited a male juvenile over to the apartment where they consumed more drugs. When the juvenile saw evidence of the murder he contacted the police. Gitti barricaded himself in the apartment when police arrived. After a struggle with sheriff’s deputies, he was arrested.

Gitti appeared with his attorney, Anthony Hall at his parole hearing at Avenal State Prison. The members of the Board of Prison Terms agreed with Deputy District Attorney Charles Arden that Gitti poses an unreasonable risk of harm to the community if released. He has failed to take advantage of programs within the California Department of Corrections. The District Attorney also argued that this murder was carried out in an cruel manner with disregard for human suffering.

The board denied parole and found that he is not eligible for another parole hearing for two years.