A Turlock man convicted of kidnapping and raping a woman and who had previously been approved for a parole release before having the order revoked, has once again been denied parole.
Daniel Ray Slayter was sentenced to prison for the rape and kidnapping of a 19-year-old woman in Turlock. In 1994, Slayter approached a 19-year-old woman who was working in the office of the Brentwood Apartments in Turlock. He forced her into her car at knifepoint and made her drive to a canal bank off of Highway 140. He raped her on the canal bank and then took her car, leaving her stranded on the side of the road. He was convicted of rape, kidnapping during a carjacking, carjacking, use of a knife, assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment and was sentenced to a 15-year-to life prison sentence.
Slayter had a parole hearing on June 8 and, based on advice from his counsel, he stipulated to a three-year denial of parole. Slayter had also stipulated to a denial of parole in 2012. He has previously been denied parole in 1997, 2000, 2005, 2009, but in 2015 he was almost set free.
On May 27, 2015 Slayter was found suitable for parole during a hearing of the State Board of Parole Hearings at Valley State Prison, Chowchilla. The Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, represented by Deputy District Attorney Jeff Laugero, argued for continued confinement based on the nature of the offense, the inmate’s lack of insight into the crime, prior criminal history, and a flawed Comprehensive Risk Assessment used in the hearing.
A Comprehensive Risk Assessment is a document prepared by a forensic psychologist which identifies and considers certain factors to determine the risk an inmate may pose to the community if released on parole.
The district attorney’s office argued that the CRA was flawed because it contained incorrect information about Slayter’s prior criminal acts. According to the district attorney’s office the CRA stated Slayter had no prior sex offenses, no prior convictions for non-sexual violence, and no male victims. At the original parole hearing Laugero presented evidence to the parole board hearing of an arrest for statutory rape of a 16-year-old girl, an arrest for a strong-armed robbery of a pizza delivery man, a conviction for battery and vandalism of a male victim, and a 1993 conviction on a charge of attempted burglary.
Laugero’s arguments at the May 2015 hearing led the BPH Legal Division to further investigate Slayter's prior sexual misconduct and criminal record. Their investigation confirmed the details presented by Laugero and determined that the information had not been included in the Comprehensive Risk Assessment relied upon by the previous board in granting parole, according to the district attorney’s office. A new risk assessment was ordered, and this time it found Slayter posed a moderate to high risk of sexual recidivism.
The Governor’s Office reviews all grants of parole to life sentence offender. In this case, the Governor ordered a full parole board review to be held at the BPH Executive Board meeting set for October 2015.
Prior to the Executive Board meeting, further investigation by the District Attorney's Office and the Turlock Police Department developed additional details on Slayter's criminal past. Reports and interviews of additional victims were provided to the Executive Board for their review. DDA Laugero appeared at the hearing and argued the additional information supported denying parole.
The Executive Board agreed and referred the matter back for a rescission hearing. In February Laugero appeared at the rescission hearing. This time, the parole board found Slayter's previous finding of suitability for parole to be inappropriate and took it back.
