Genevieve Adaline Moreno was kidnapped, raped, and strangled in Nipomo, California, on the night of June 17, 1974. Her body was found the next morning in a grove of eucalyptus trees. Alberto Tamez Jr. was identified that same day — blood on his hands, debris from the crime scene on his clothing. He was convicted of first-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping, and rape by force, and sentenced in September 1974 to life with the possibility of parole.
The California Board of Parole Hearings granted Tamez parole on December 30. Governor Newsom, who held the constitutional authority to reverse that decision, declined to act. San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow fought the release at every stage. Said Dow: "Genevieve Moreno deserved better. She deserved the full protection of justice, and it is my solemn obligation as District Attorney to ensure that her story is not forgotten."
The oath of office exists for moments exactly like this one. The republic's first duty to its citizens is the protection of the innocent — and when a governor has the power to honor that duty and walks away, the people are owed an explanation.