A California man released early under a “youthful offender” law has been sentenced to life in prison after committing another brutal हत्या less than a year after his release.

Darryl Lamar Collins, 55, was convicted for the 2021 killing of Fatima Johnson, a 53-year-old mother of six in Los Angeles. Authorities said Johnson was found bound, gagged, and suffocated in her apartment by her daughters on July 4, 2021.

Prosecutors stated that Collins stole Johnson’s belongings, including her phone, jewelry, and car, and later pawned items and sold the vehicle for drugs shortly after the crime.

The killing occurred just 364 days after Collins had been released from prison, where he had been serving time for two separate murders committed in 1995. Despite receiving two consecutive 25-years-to-life sentences, he was paroled after serving 25 years under California’s youthful offender parole provision—a law expanded in 2017 to include offenders up to age 25 at the time of their crimes.

Nathan Hochman condemned the case, stating that Collins had taken three lives and emphasizing that the new sentence ensures he will never be released again. He also pointed to the case as an example of the potential risks associated with early release policies for violent offenders.

The case has renewed debate over parole laws and criminal justice reforms in California, particularly regarding how to balance rehabilitation opportunities with public safety concerns.