Parole Recommended for Convicted Murderer Previously Serving Life without Parole
On Thursday, April 7, 2022, via video conference, a California parole board recommended parole for Richard Flowers, age 66, who is currently serving a life sentence at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility in Corcoran.
In 1994, Flowers stabbed, strangled, and robbed 78-year-old woman Mary Eloise Garcia in her Tulare home. Flowers used the money and items stolen from his victim to buy cocaine. In 1996, a jury convicted Flowers of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of burglary and robbery, the special allegation that he personally used a deadly weapon, vehicle theft, and receiving stolen property. It was also found true that Flowers possessed two prior strikes and had served four prior prison terms for theft, burglary, and fraud. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Flowers applied for clemency under former Governor Jerry Brown in 2018, but Brown took no action before leaving office. In March 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom granted clemency to Flowers, citing his alleged reform in prison. The granting of clemency, despite the sentence of life without the possibility of parole, entitled Flowers to a parole hearing. In September 202o, Flowers was denied parole at his first hearing.
In June of 1994, Mary Eloise Garcia, the 78-year-old victim, lived alone in the house where she had lived for over 50 years and where she was murdered. Garcia lived on her Social Security income and kept any cash she had in her purse rather than a bank account. She was cautious about who she let in the house, using a peephole and having visitors announce themselves before being allowed in. Flowers occasionally did yardwork for her and she would sometimes invite him in when she retrieved the cash from her purse to pay him. In the early morning hours of June 6, 1994, neighbors heard Mary’s voice and a man’s voice arguing. The next day, Mary’s car, a gift from her children, was not in her driveway. A handyman and a neighbor approached the front porch and noticed her door was slightly open. They entered the residence and found Mary dead.
When Tulare Police Officers responded to the victim’s house, they found Mary with stab wounds and evidence of strangulation on the living room floor. Her house and purse were ransacked; no money was found, her car was missing, and a window on the side of the house had been knocked out. The telephone line had been cut, and a kitchen knife was found on the coffee table and another found outside in a clump of grass. Her car was later found jacked up in a stall of a car wash, with the stereo, all four tires and rims, and the spare tire missing. Contact was made with a witness who said he observed a black male stripping the car at the car wash and then driving off in a Lincoln Continental. On June 7, 1994, Flowers was arrested while driving his Lincoln Continental. Custody of the Lincoln Continental was released to Flowers’ spouse, who discovered a gold locket and some watches in the glove compartment of the car. These items were later identified as belonging to Garcia.
“When I talk about the lack of truth in sentencing, this case is the prime example,” said District Attorney Tim Ward. “Over 25 years ago, this victim’s family sat in a Tulare County court room and heard the words “life without parole” for the heinous murder of a dearly loved member of their family. They received justice. Now, they’ve seen the justice once afforded to them stripped away all while reliving the agony of the crime itself.”
“In the hearing, the inmate admitted the he stabbed the victim with a screwdriver. This is the first time he has admitted doing this. However, he minimized his conduct with other details of the case. This isn’t authentic remorse, and should be worrisome to the Governor and anyone responsible for his release. Unless Governor Newsom acts to prevent his release, which isn’t likely, the man who viciously murdered a mother and a friend who was never to see the world outside prison walls again will walk free,” Ward continued.
Media inquiries can be directed to the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare Assistant District Attorney Dave Alavezos (559) 636-5494