Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 09/18/2008

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Hilary Moores - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Christine M. Cook

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 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 his forty seven year old live-in girlfriend Brenda Martini.

District Attorney Passalacqua said, “We’re pleased that the Parole Board agreed with our position that this murderer is unfit for release into the community, as this murder was particularly heinous and grisly.”

Michael Gitti, then 25 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 a hammer and a meat cleaver and struck her numerous times on the 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. Gitti was found located on top of the victim having stabbed himself several times with a knife. After a struggle with sheriff’s deputies, he was arrested.

Gitti appeared with his attorney at his parole hearing at Mule Creek State Prison. The members of the Board of Prison Terms agreed with the District Attorney’s representative, Deputy District Attorney Bob Waner, that Gitti poses an unreasonable risk of harm to the community if released. The District Attorney also argued that this murder was carried out in a particularly cruel and bizarre manner with utter disregard for the suffering of the victim.

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