Gov. Newsom pardons ex-prostitute 27 years after she was sentenced to life without parole for killing an abusive pimp at a California motel when she was 16
- Sara Kruzan was forced into prostitution in California when she was about 13 years old
- But three years later, she shot George Gilbert Howard at the Riverside motel
- The then-teenager was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole
- She was sentenced again to 15 years to life in prison in 2013 and was released this year at the age of 35
- Now Kruzan has been pardoned for “changing her life” over the past nine years
A woman sentenced to life without parole in 1994 for killing her abusive pimp when she was just 16 has been pardoned.
Sara Kruzan was forced into prostitution when she was about 13, but three years later she shot George Gilbert Howard at a motel in Riverside, California.
The then-teenager was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole at the age of 17 for first-degree murder.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger arranged for her sentence to be reduced to 25 years in 2010, with the possibility of parole.
But she was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for second-degree murder in 2013 and was released this year at the age of 35 after 18 years in prison.
Now Kruzan has been pardoned for “changing her life” after spending the past nine years campaigning for the human rights of imprisoned women and children.
Her supporters wrote a celebratory note on a Facebook page dedicated to her, praising that she was “at least truly free.”
Sara Kruzan was forced into prostitution when she was about 13, but three years later she shot George Gilbert Howard at a motel in Riverside, California
The then-teenager was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole at the age of 17 for first-degree murder
An exterior photo of the Riverside, California motel where the murder took place
The pardon said, “Ms. Kruzan committed a crime that took the victim’s life. Since then, Ms. Kruzan has transformed her life and dedicated herself to community service.
“This act of mercy for Ms. Kruzan does not belittle or forgive her behavior or the damage she has caused.”
But it added: “It recognizes the work she’s done to transform since then.” A Facebook post was written from her I Am SJK page by her supporters.
A photo of Sara Kruzan from prison. Kruzan was sexually assaulted by her pimp, whom she killed at a Riverside, California motel in 1994
“We hope you celebrate freedom with us, Sara’s freedom, that’s Sara Kruzan, is finally really free.
Kruzan recounted how Howard started grooming her when she was just 11 and sexually abused her before becoming her pimp.
She said he made her have sex with 11 men on her first night scouring the streets of Hollywood and Orange County.
She started dating a man in San Diego when she was 16, and his uncle reportedly ordered her to kill Howard or he would kill her mother.
Kruzan then reportedly set up a date with her former pimp and spent a night with him at the Dynasty Suites Motel.
But she shot him in the neck at point-blank range as he pulled out a sex toy, before taking $1,500 from his wallet and the keys to his Jaguar.
Police found her purse and ID at the scene and she was arrested and held at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, California.
On Friday, Kruzan was one of 17 pardons and clemencies granted by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger arranged for her sentence to be reduced to 25 years in 2010, with the possibility of parole
A photo of Kruzan serving her sentence behind bars in a California prison
On Friday, Kruzan was one of 17 pardons and clemencies granted by Gov. Newsom (pictured).
He wrote in the pardon: “When Ms. Kruzan was 16, she fatally shot the man who had abused her and trafficked her for sex.”
He added, “She has demonstrated that she lives an upright life and has demonstrated her suitability for the restoration of her civil rights and duties.”
The pardon doesn’t erase her conviction, but says it helps remove “counterproductive barriers to employment and public service.”