San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow sent Governor Gavin Newsom a letter on Friday urging him to reverse the Board of Parole’s decision to release convicted killer Allie Hazel Brown.
In 2015, Brown, formerly Herbert Brown III, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after pleading no contest to second-degree murder for the death of 22-month-old Lily Brown.
Brown, the child’s father, was arrested in February 2013 after police responded to a Paso Robles home where the little girl was found unresponsive with visible injuries to her head and body. She reportedly suffered a fractured skull and other injuries that investigators said were consistent with being hit with great force against a hard object and vigorous shaking.
Brown, who now identifies as a woman, has so far served 12 years for the crime and is currently being held at the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran.
At a parole suitability hearing in October 2024, despite objections from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office and Lily's mother, Brown was granted parole. Governor Newsom referred the decision back to the full Board of Parole for review, but on April 22, the board affirmed the decision to grant Brown parole.
The governor has 30 days to reverse the parole board’s decision and deny Brown’s release.
In his letter to Newsom, Dow says, “We have reviewed the record and have concluded that Inmate Brown remains a dangerous threat to public safety.”
The DA argues that Brown has a history of violence, substance abuse, and mental health issues and that Brown has not taken proper responsibility for the murder. Brown reportedly told several versions of what caused Lily's injuries, initially blaming the family dog then later saying the abuse was the result of Brown going through methamphetamine withdrawals. The DA also points out that in 2023, a doctor rated Brown a "higher moderate risk for violence" and that she’d been written up for participating in conduct conducive to violence as recently as 2022.
Dow says Proposition 57 is to blame for Brown’s early parole and released the following video message to the public on Friday:
