District Attorney's Office Drops Plan to Seek Death for Killer

RIVERSIDE - A twice-convicted felon who murdered a retired Riverside police sergeant during a robbery in a mall parking lot is no longer facing a possible death sentence, Riverside County prosecutors announced today.

Leslie Gene Parker, who turns 52 tomorrow, was found guilty in March 2010 of first-degree murder, with special circumstance allegations of using a firearm during a felony and committing a murder in the course of a robbery, in the December 1985 slaying of Frederick A. Taylor.

The five-man, seven-woman jury weighing evidence in Parker's trial deadlocked 8-4 in favor of capital punishment for the defendant. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office indicated then it would retry the penalty phase and attempt to convince a new jury to recommend a death sentence.

However, over the ensuing 17 months, Parker changed attorneys, and the defense sought multiple continuances, delaying another penalty trial. A date was finally set for Oct. 3. But, for reasons not immediately clear, Deputy District Attorney Laura Ozols informed Superior Court Judge Helios Hernandez today that the D.A.'s office ''no longer wished'' to seek the death penalty, according to court minutes.

District Attorney Paul Zellerbach told City News Service just prior to being sworn into office in January that he would re-examine all the death penalty cases filed by his predecessor to ensure they were justified and would tighten the criteria used in pursuing capital punishment cases, which are the most expensive to litigate.

Parker, who has prior convictions for burglary and illegal drug possession, was arrested in May 2007 in connection with Taylor's death, based on DNA evidence that linked the defendant directly to the crime, according to prosecutors.

At the time of the shooting, Taylor, 57, was working for First Interstate Bank as an armed guard. The 17-year police veteran, who had retired from the police force years earlier, was hired by the bank to fill the gap left when Brink's armored car guards went on strike in December 1985, according to trial testimony.

Taylor routinely accompanied bank employees on their rounds to retrieve deposits from automatic teller machines.

On Dec. 16, 1985, the victim followed the then-manager of First Interstate's Riverside branch, Robert Steve Parker -- who is not related to the defendant -- to the ATM in the Tyler Mall.

The banker testified that he and his assistant loaded up four tote bags filled with roughly $265,000 in cash and equivalents and walked back to the employee's vehicle, with Taylor close behind. The witness said that as he was tossing a bag into the car, he ''heard a commotion'' and turned around to see a long-haired man leveling a .45-caliber handgun at him.

The banker said Taylor drew a revolver from under his jacket, and then shots rang out.

He testified that Taylor dropped to the ground, trading fire with the gunman.

At the end of the exchange, a second bandit appeared, wielding a knife, and took the money bags, according to the witness.

He said he saw a pool of blood where the gunman had been. The suspects fled in a stolen two-door Datsun, later found abandoned in another part of the city. One of the seats was soaked in blood.

Taylor died that day from a gunshot to the chest.

Samples of the blood left behind by the wounded bandit were stored and preserved, and in April 2007, the evidence was linked to Parker, whose DNA had been collected when he was convicted of the burglary a few years earlier.