Via Wikimedia Commons
By Audrey Sawyer, Connie Martinez and Brinda Kalita
FRESNO, CA– Keith Doolin was convicted of killing two sex workers and severely injuring four others, but the truck driver has never strayed from declaring his innocence along with his mother Donna Doolin-Larsen, defense attorney Pamala Sayasane and other advocates.
Doolin signs all of his mail received in San Quentin during his time on death row as “factual innocent man behind bars since 10/18/1995.”
During his time on death row, Doolin has been kept inside a solitary cell, often for 23 hours a day.
He still chooses to wear a tattered blue shirt that the prison provided him more than two decades ago, which lacks the “inmate” label or the “California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation” marking, which Doolin proudly explains: “I’ll wear this shirt until it falls off. Here, they strip you of your name and give you a CDC number. It’s part of the psychological warfare- tearing you down, making you feel worthless, and not even acknowledging you as a human.”
The Initial Arrest
At the time of his arrest on Oct. 18, 1995, Doolin was taking his mother to a doctor’s appointment. His vehicle and weapon had matched the description of the crime scene, and Doolin, a Fresno truck driver without a prior criminal record, was sentenced to death row in San Quentin State Prison in 1996 after his conviction.
The deaths were alleged to have occurred in Fresno between November 1994 and September 1995. Two women (Inez Espinosa and Peggy Tucker) were killed, with Alice Alva, Debbie Cruz, Marlene Mendibles, and Stephanie Kachman severely injured.
Information to Exonerate Doolin Is Still Hidden Due To Attorney Client Privilege
Josefina Saldana, using the name Josefina Sonya Hernandez, had testified in Doolin’s trial in Fresno County Superior Court. Saldana had told the court she was watching television before attempting to go to bed around 11:30, but that she had difficulty falling asleep in the Central California heat.
Saldana claimed in court that shortly before midnight she heard dogs barking, along with a gunshot and a voice saying, “Oh my God, oh my God.” The transcript states that she did not call the police.
Two years later, Saldana had been arrested and charged with killing Margarita Flores, who was eight months pregnant. After killing Flores, Saldana had dismembered the body and scattered it in both Southern California and Tijuana, Mexico.
A court declaration describes how Fresno attorney David Mugridge had told the court that a previous client of his (Josefina Sonia Saldana) had committed suicide in 2001 after being convicted of killing a pregnant woman, but that she had provided information to him that could exonerate Doolin in one of his killings.
Saldana’s testimony in court was particularly about Peggy Tucker, one of the names alleged to be a victim of Doolin. According to court records, Tucker’s body was located in an alley behind Saldana’s home on South Grace Street. Peggy Tucker is cited as one of the two names to be centric to why Doolin was convicted.
In the declaration, while Mugridge stated he strongly believes in doing what is right, which includes making sure an innocent man is protected from wrongful execution. He would also cite attorney client privilege as binding him from disclosing how he came across the information or the nature of the evidence, unless “a court directed him.”
Mismanagement Of Money From Disbarred Defense Representation
In addition to uncovering new information indicating innocence towards Doolin, the court appointed lawyer for Doolin at the time of the trial has since been disbarred and not allowed to practice law, and known for a gambling addiction and mismanagement of money meant for clients.
While court records show that Doolin had requested trial judge James Quaschnick three times to replace Rudy Petilla, the judge refused each motion.
The Fresno Bee previously covered the story on the day of Doolin’s sentencing when Fresno attorney Katherine Hart, who appeared pro bono, came to court with various declarations and legal motions and a transcript to a bankruptcy hearing which showed evidence Petilla had committed fraud by borrowing money to pay for his gambling habits.
However, Quaschnick denied Hart’s request, and later said Doolin had received a fair trial and the California Supreme Court agreed, having denied many of Doolin’s issues.
While lawyers have explained death penalty cases generally take years to prepare before going to trial, court records indicated Petilla had completed Doolin’s preliminary hearing within two weeks of receiving his appointment before taking the case to trial within 60 days of the preliminary hearing.
Petilla swore he would spend $60,000 on investigators and expert witnesses, and keep another $20,000 as his own retainer. After Doolin was convicted, court officials found out that Petilla spent less than $9,000 on investigators and experts, pocketing $71,000 for himself.
Only months before accepting Doolin’s case, Petilla was currently in his own bankruptcy proceedings from massive gambling debts. He had resigned from the California Bar in 2004 after claims of misconduct in another unrelated case.
What Is Next For Doolin In 2024?
The Vanguard was generously able to recently communicate with both Doolin’s defense attorney Pamala Sayasane and his mother Doolin-Larsen over email, both advocating for Doolin’s innocence this entire time, to ask about Doolin’s wrongful conviction and inquire a bit about the next steps with the announced closure of San Quentin.
Recently, attorney Sayasane has filed another habeas petition on his behalf. It relies on recent amendments to Penal Code section 1473.
The statute allows incarcerated individuals to seek relief if the preponderance of the evidence establishes that their conviction or sentence was the result of false evidence, or if new evidence (such as that related to innocence) more likely than not would have changed the outcome of the case.
“This is important, as the Fresno County District Attorney’s office will need to show why they continue to hold an innocent man in prison and on death row,” Doolin Larsen – who went to law school after the wrongful conviction of her son – tells the Vanguard.
Defense attorney Sayasane explained to the Vanguard it has been more than 25 years since first meeting Doolin and his mother in either 1997 or 1998, which she clarifies was not too long after Doolin had been sent to San Quentin.
Said Sayasane, “I was a young attorney at the time, working for a solo practitioner who specializes in capital litigation. We were there visiting other clients, and Donna Larsen was there visiting her son. Over the years, Donna and Keith would often walk by and say hello when they saw us in the waiting room.” (Note: She explains that San Quentin formerly had a large open room containing tables and chairs where attorneys and family could meet with death row inmates).
Sayasane praises Donna’s commitment to Keith and her unwavering faith that one day he would be vindicated, noting that when Keith’s previous attorneys had to withdraw from his case for health or other reasons, she and co-counsel decided to step in at their request.
When asked for any possible comment regarding her opinion of the case, Sayasane shared, “Keith’s case represents a great injustice, one of the worst I have ever seen. From the outset, he never had a fair chance. We are hopeful that the evidence we have been able to uncover of his innocence, as well as the State’s misconduct in the case, will finally earn Keith his freedom.”
The desired outcome for attorney Sayasane regarding the case is for Doolin to be out of prison “yesterday,” explains Sayasane over email, adding, “He has been wrongfully incarcerated for almost 30 years. Although there is finally light at the end of the tunnel, it has taken far too long to reach this point.”
Sayasane referenced Doolin previous trial attorney, Petilla, and how the case ought to have never been allowed to go to trial in the manner in which it had, arguing, “Rudy Petilla had a poor reputation within the legal community, yet was appointed to Keith’s capital case. Petilla was both incompetent and unethical. His contract with Fresno County allowed him to pocket money not used on investigation, and he instead kept the funds for himself.”
“It was clear that he rushed Keith’s case through trial so that he could be paid quicker,” Sayasane informed the Vanguard.
Sayasane concluded that given the complexity of Doolin’s case, which involved two separate murders and four attempted murders, it should have taken years to prepare.
Sayasane also emphasized how troubling it was that the case had been rushed, noting, “A mere eight months passed from the time of (Doolin’s) arrest on Oct. 18, 1995, to his death sentence on June 18, 1996.”
The injustice of how Doolin’s proceedings took place put him in the situation of where he had been located at – San Quentin. However, with the closure of San Quentin Death Row and the emergence of San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, Doolin has felt some uncertainty about the future of his case.
History of San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison, established in 1852, has an infamous record of being the state’s only death row for incarcerated males. The prison is known for their harsh conditions especially for those on death row and the various escapes the prison has faced.
According to an article published by Best Diplomats, San Quentin has been ranked in the top 10 most dangerous prisons in America as of 2024.
The article states “San Quentin gained further notoriety as the site of California’s executions, transitioning from hanging to gas chamber and eventually lethal injection. However, overcrowding became a significant issue in later years, straining resources and increasing security concerns.”
These issues are in relation to the inhumane conditions that death row face such as living in small box-like rooms with no communication, no contact with others besides prison guards and lack of access to basic necessities.
Because of these issues, there has been uncertainty among the functionality of the prison, causing concerns to be raised upon whether death row is effective for the incarcerated population.
In addition, San Quentin’s infamous history of harsh conditions and as a “site of violence,” and the lack of appropriate high security and resources, raised California Gov. Gavin Newsom to propose solutions.
San Quentin’s Status Now – San Quentin Rehabilitation Center
Newsom has analyzed the prison’s issues and issued an order for San Quentin to be transitioned into a rehabilitation center, imposing a moratorium on the death penalty and the closing of the prison’s execution chamber.
His goal is to transform San Quentin into a Scandinavian-style prison with a focus on rehabilitation, education and job training.
This decision was introduced and declared to begin in March 2023. Within this order, Newsom reimagines the prison system to take the form of rehabilitation and educational programs being the main priority rather than allowing the incarcerated population to languish in harsh conditions.
Newsom hopes to not only de-institute death row but to also reinstitute the duties and training of guards in order to better facilitate the incarcerated population.
In an article published by Cal Matters, Newsom states, “Instead of shying away from ‘overfamiliarity’ with incarcerated people, prison guards should ask them about their families or favorite NFL teams. Instead of only reporting offenses, guards should note positive change in inmates. Instead of adopting a militarized footing against prisoners, guards should meet them in a common area to eat or watch movies.”
What Will Happen to the Incarcerated Population at San Quentin?
Many have been skeptical with what potential outcomes look like. Will this affect the status of those on death row? Gov. Newsom has indicated currently incarcerated people will be transferred to other California prisons.
A goal of Newsom’s is to decrease the number of the incarcerated people at San Quentin to prevent overcrowding and offer “opportunities for more effective rehabilitation, since fewer people will be competing for the same programs,” such as those shared in an article by the LA Times.
But, for many, like Doolin, this change has led to many feeling uncertain about their future. For Doolin’s case specifically, the transfer from San Quentin could potentially allow for more leeway and freedoms.
However, he fears that the transfer may cause him to be further away from his mother and his lawyers. Moreover, the move can disrupt his ongoing battle of pleading for his innocence as he’s concerned the new prison he will be transferred to won’t let him keep any of his legal documents with him, as revealed by The Guardian.
However, many are also hopeful about the transfers and their ability to correct the injustices inflicted by the prison in the past. As disclosed in an article released by The Guardian, “Some on death row hope that the transfers will bring them one step closer to leaving prison, especially as some state lawmakers push for reforms to undo some of the harshest prison terms.”
