In 2009, Patrick Wollett and Chad Westbrook were found guilty of the murder of Joshua Houlgate.
Houlgate was shot and killed at a mobile home park in San Luis Obispo.
Westbrook, who was found to be the one who pulled the trigger, was convicted of first-degree murder.
Wollett, who reportedly beat Houlgate, was convicted of second-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
Wollett was 18 at the time of the murder and was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison. Now, on June 9, he will be released, after serving just 16 years.
In a press release, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow said Wollett is being released because he was deemed a youthful offender.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), a youthful offender is someone under the age of 26 who commits a crime and becomes eligible for early parole hearings
The CDCR website says, "The younger a person is, the more susceptible they are to negative influences and outside pressures, including peer pressure, but as they age, maturity can lead to reflection that is the foundation for remorse, renewal, and rehabilitation.”
This comes from Senate Bill 1437, which became law in 2019. It amends the way felony murder is charged in what supporters see as a way of holding defendants accountable for their own actions instead of the actions of their accomplice. People against it say it does not do justice for the victims and supports the release of convicted murderers back into the community.
When KSBY spoke with the father of the victim and his wife in 2019, when Wollett filed the petition to be considered a youthful offender, they told our reporter that they feel that their pain does not justify an unfair sentence.
According to Merced College, in 2023, Wollett received an associate's degree through their Rising Scholars program. Wollett told the college he hopes to continue his education once he is released.
