(KRON) -- A man who dubbed himself the “Mayor of San Quentin” was granted parole on Thursday, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office. Michael Connolly, 78, was convicted of stabbing his roommate to death at their Daly City residence in 2001.
At a parole hearing conducted at Folsom State Prison, the People opposed Connolly’s release. The DA’s office noted that the convicted murderer had been in and out of prison on 30 occasions.
The Board of Parole Hearings panel determined that Connolly “is no longer an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety if released,” the DA’s office said.
On Oct. 22, 2001, then-54-year-old Connolly was on parole when he attacked his roommate with a knife before dawn, according to prosecutors. The victim was found by Daly City Police Department officers bleeding on the kitchen floor.
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A San Mateo County jury deliberated for two days following a 24-day trial and found Connolly guilty of second-degree murder on Dec. 10, 2003. Sentencing enhancements for the use of a knife and a prior strike conviction were found true.
Connolly was sentenced on Jan. 7, 2004, to 39 years to life in prison.
The case will go to the governor’s office for approval or reversal of the parole board’s decision.
