Andrew Rick Lopez, 61, of Denair was denied parole following a hearing held at San Quentin State Prison, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office announced.

Lopez, convicted of second-degree murder in 1991, refused to attend the parole hearing. Deputy District Attorney Amy Neumann appeared before the Board of Parole Hearings on behalf of the People.

On June 25, 1991, Lopez fatally stabbed James Turnbough 13 times in the back, stomach and chest after an altercation. Witnesses reported seeing Lopez with the bloody weapon and said he bragged about the killing. At the time, Lopez had recently been released from prison and was wanted for absconding from parole supervision.

A Stanislaus County jury convicted Lopez of second-degree murder on Dec. 13, 1991. He was sentenced to serve 17 years to life in state prison.

While in custody, Lopez has accumulated 20 behavior violations, including a 2018 infraction for fighting. Prison investigations have identified Lopez as a validated prison gang member, though he denies current involvement.

Neumann argued that parole should be denied due to Lopez’s refusal to take responsibility for the crime, continued criminal thinking, defiance of authority, failure to comply with supervision, and lack of progress in prison programming. The Board agreed and denied release.