Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 02/01/2008

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Christine M. Cook Deputy District Attorney: Charles Arden

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

MULTIPLE MURDERER SEEKING RETURN
TO SANTA ROSA DENIED PAROLE

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced today that a parole hearing was held yesterday at Solano State Prison for Johnny Sommerhalder, who was convicted of three counts of first degree murder, one occurring in Sonoma County and two in Marin County, nearly eighteen years ago. The Parole Board determined Sommerhalder is not fit to be in the community.

District Attorney Passalacqua said, “We are pleased that the Parole Board agreed with our position and denied parole for Mr. Sommerhalder, who was seeking to return to Santa Rosa.”

On October 7, 1967 Sommerhalder, with three other men, drove up behind a parked car in the Santa Rosa hills. He and one of his companions jumped from their car and went to opposite sides of the parked car in front of them. Sommerhalder went to the driver’s side. The men told the occupants to get out of the car with their sweaters over their heads and their hands up. The victim, Charles Kaufman, a Santa Rosa Junior College student and wrestler, upon leaving the car, threw the sweater from his head and flipped Sommerhalder to the ground. Sommerhalder’s companion then tried to attack Mr. Kaufman and the companion to was thrown to the ground. Sommerhalder then armed himself with a .22 caliber pistol and shot Mr. Kaufman twice in the back. Then, Sommerhalder shot Mr. Kaufman in the head, killing him. Before this case was solved, on January 12, 1968, Sommerhalder and his crime partner, Kenneth Preston were in the midst of burglarizing a home in San Rafael, California, when the homeowner, Curtis Ackley arrived home. Sommerhalder and his partner stabbed and shot Mr. Ackley, and then shot and killed his wife, Shirly Ackley, when she arrived home shortly thereafter.

Sommerhalder was convicted in Sonoma County in November 1968 of first degree murder for the death of Charles Kaufman. He also was convicted of two counts of first degree murder in Marin County in 1968. He is currently housed at Solano State Prison in Vacaville, CA.

The Parole Board’s hearing yesterday was held to evaluate whether Sommerhalder was suitable for release. Sommerhalder requested that he be granted parole so that he could live with his mother or sister in Santa Rosa. The District Attorney’s Office was represented by Deputy District Attorney Charles Arden, who argued against Sommerhalder’s release, stating that Sommerhalder poses a high risk of violence in the community. The Board agreed and denied his release for a five year period, the maximum period allowed.