Board of Parole Hearings Grants Parole for the 4th Time to Jose Velasquez Who Was Convicted of a Murder Spree in the King City Area in 1966

Salinas, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced that on

August 25, 2023, the California Board of Parole Hearings granted Youthful Offender and Elder

parole to Jose Francisco Velasquez who was 24 at the time of the commission of the murders and

now is 81 years old. In December 1966, Velasquez was sentenced to 7-life for the murders, which

reflected the sentencing scheme in effect at the time. Velasquez was the ringleader of the group of

men who committed these murders.

During a horrific crime spree in 1966, Inmate Velasquez and his crime partners Luis Francisco

Pacheco, Jose Luis Galvan, Frank Urrea Gonzales, and Juan Vasquez Garcia, brutally murdered

four victims.

On July 29, 1966, Inmate Jose Franisco “Pancho” Velasquez and codefendants Gonzales and Garcia

robbed Eduardo Dominguez, fatally stabbed him, and left his body in a ditch one-and-one-half

miles from King City. Victim Dominguez was an acquaintance of the defendants. Victim

Dominguez had been drinking at the “Resbalon Bar” in King City and had asked the defendants for

a ride home. The defendants agreed. Gonzales drove and fluttered the gas pedal, pretending to have

run out of gasoline. Codefendant Garcia and victim Dominguez then argued. A struggle took place

and victim Dominquez was stabbed and dragged from the car. Victim Dominguez was clubbed and

stabbed multiple times, and robbed of his shoes, wallet, and $90 cash. Inmate Velasquez and

codefendant Garcia kept $40 each, and codefendant Gonzalez received $10. Victim Dominguez’s

body was thrown into an irrigation ditch. The defendants later beat non-participating companion

Galvan for having been dropped off at the hotel by another friend from the bar and not having

participated in the offense.

On August 7, 1966, two weeks later, Inmate Velasquez and his crime partners murdered John Doe.

Victim Doe had been drinking at the “Top Hat Bar” in King City, had gotten drunk, and had asked

patrons, including the defendants, for a ride home. Inmate Velasquez knew Doe, as they were from

the same hometown. The defendants agreed to drive the victim home, but Inmate Velasquez wanted

money from Doe. Doe argued he’d already bought the men rounds of drinks. The defendants put

him in their car and left with codefendant Luis Francisco Pacheco driving. However, Pacheco got

pulled over and cited for driving without a license and then Gonzales took over the wheel. The

vehicle stopped, Inmate Velasquez opened the car door and grabbed Doe by the head and told

Garcia, “go ahead,” whereupon Garcia shot Doe in the head. Doe’s body was dragged across the

road into a ditch by Inmate Velasquez, Galvan, and Pacheco. Doe was stabbed 55 times by Inmate

Velasquez, codefendants Garcia and Galvan, and possibly by Pacheco too, and robbed of his pants,

shoes, watch, ring, and a Saint Christopher medal. Inmate Velasquez sodomized the body and

buried it in a shallow grave.

Later that evening, still on August 7, 1966, while driving away from the scene of the murder of

Aguirre, codefendant Gonzales drove at three men walking down the road, victims Manuel

Guerrero, Steven Sanchez, and Roberto E. Rodriguez. The defendants had discussed picking them

up or running them over, and Inmate Velasquez and Garcia wanted to run them down. Victim

Guerrero was killed on impact and his body was knocked into an irrigation ditch. Victim Sanchez

received a glancing blow from the right front fender and was knocked into a beet field. Victim

Rodriguez was able to get out of the way and took off through the fields. Inmate Velasquez and

Galvan took off after Rodriguez but were unable to catch him and returned. Codefendant Pacheco

located victim Sanchez and hit him with a club that had three nails attached to it causing a skull

fracture, one nail having pierced Sanchez’s brain. Inmate Velasquez with codefendants Galvan and

Garcia joined Pacheco in stabbing victim Sanchez 82 times, each using a knife. Victim Sanchez

attempted to defend himself and received defensive stab wounds on his hands. Inmate Velasquez

and Garcia took Sanchez’s wallet containing $60. The bodies of victims Guerrero and Sanchez were

located on the edge of a tomato and beet field on Spreckles Road outside of King City.

This was 19th time Velasquez has been before the Board of Parole Hearings. In August of 2018 at

his 16th appearance, he was granted parole. In December of 2018, Governor Jerry Brown reversed

that grant of parole. At his 17th appearance in January 2020, the inmate was again granted parole

and in May of 2020 Governor Gavin Newsom reversed that decision. At his 18th appearance in June

2021 the inmate was granted parole and Governor Newsom again reversed that grant in October of

2021. In each grant, the People wrote letters to the Governor urging reversal.

The Board of Parole found that Mr. Velasquez’s lack of violence and rule breaking while in prison

outweighed unsatisfactory answers in the areas of triggers, motivations, coping skills, understanding

causative factors, self-awareness, and insight. The family members of John Doe have been active

participants in the parole board process and continue to advocate for denial of parole.

The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office is again asking Governor Newsom to reverse the

grant of parole. We believe the inmate continues to pose an unreasonable current risk of harm to the

public based on the egregious facts of these murders and currently lacks insight into both his

responsibility for these murders and his sexual deviance.