Tulare Man Denied Parole for 1985 Murder, Sexual Assaults
On October 8, 2019, at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla, a California parole board issued a three-year denial for Darrin Little, age 55, for murder and sexual assault.
On the morning of May 2, 1985, first responders were dispatched to a structure fire at a residence on South Spruce St. in Tulare. When they arrived, the attic and roof of the residence were fully engulfed. Entering the residence through thick smoke, firefighters discovered the deceased victim, a 56-year-old woman, naked in the hallway. When personnel examined her badly burned body, they discovered 15 stab wounds, including defensive wounds, and a five-inch laceration to her throat. Though carbonaceous material was found in her lungs indicating she had breathed smoke, pathologists determined the cause of death to be excessive blood loss. The investigation did not yield any immediate leads.
In the late evening of May 24, 1985, in Tulare, an 81-year-old woman awoke to the sound of breaking glass. After she got up to investigate, she discovered Little in her bathroom. She yelled at him to leave, but Little took her back to the bedroom, tied her hands and neck with pantyhose, and proceeded to beat, rape and sodomize her. Following the sexual assaults, Little took the victim back to the bathroom where he made her lie down on her stomach. He then stomped on her back and struck her in her face until she lost consciousness. Little removed her rings from her fingers and stole $40 from her purse. During the commission of his crimes, Little took a break and made himself a frozen pizza and T.V. dinner. Before leaving the scene, Little drew a picture of a penis on the victim’s back and wrote “this was here.” The victim survived the assault.
On June 4, 1985, Little was arrested for charges unrelated to the crimes by the Tulare Police Department.
During the course of the interview, it became apparent Little was a suspect in the murder. Tulare County Sheriff’s detectives were notified and questioned Little, who fully implicated himself in the crime. Little described his hostility towards women, including his victims, calling them “bitches” throughout the interview. Little admitted that, earlier in the day of the murder, he decided he was going to “get” the victim. He explained to detectives that while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, he broke into the victim’s house. After grabbing a knife in the kitchen, he was confronted by the victim, who yelled at him to leave. Little slapped her, then stabbed her numerous times. He dragged her partly down the hallway, but became tired and went to sleep for an undetermined amount of time. When he awoke, he obtained a can of lighter fluid from the garage and used it to set the bedroom on fire. Little then went to a nearby Circle-K store and ultimately back to a friend’s house where he was staying, and washed his bloody clothes.
“The thought that this inmate should even be associated with the concept of parole is mind-numbing,” said District Attorney Tim Ward. “This case is a clear example of our calling to never let a victim’s voice go silent.”
Little was convicted of both the murder and the sexual assaults in separate trials. He was sentenced to 46 years-to-life in prison in 1986.
This was Little’s second parole denial. The District Attorney’s office regularly attends parole hearings and a Supervising Deputy District Attorney argued against the inmate’s release in this case.
Media inquiries can be directed to the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare Assistant District Attorney Robert Dempsie (559) 636-5494