California Governor Gavin Newsom has revealed that a pivotal meeting with the two sisters of murder victim Polly Klaas was the catalyst for his decision to commute the death sentences of all 547 inmates on the state's death row. The encounter took place in a former death row cell at San Quentin prison, where Polly Klaas's killer, Richard Allen Davis, was held for 30 years.
Polly Klaas, then 12, was abducted from her Petaluma home during a sleepover and murdered in 1993 by Davis. Her case became a national focal point, contributing to a movement for harsher criminal penalties.
Jess and Annie Nichol, who were 12 and 6 respectively when their half-sister was killed, met with Newsom in late October. They have become outspoken opponents of the death penalty, arguing that state-sanctioned killing does not bring closure to victims' families or deliver justice. Annie described the case becoming a rallying cry for punitive laws as "heartbreaking and retraumatizing."
"There's a relief in knowing the state is stepping away from another death in Polly's name," Annie told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Newsom described the meeting as one of the most profound of his political career. He had previously met with Polly's father, Marc Klaas, in 2019, shortly after imposing a moratorium on executions. Marc Klaas had urged Newsom not to suspend capital punishment. However, the governor said that the sisters' perspective carried significant weight. "That moment, for me, I was almost freed. It was spiritual," Newsom recalled.
The sisters' message, that executing Davis would not heal their family and that the state should not kill in Polly's name, appeared to surprise Newsom but also made him receptive to their views. Jess Nichol noted that Newsom seemed surprised but "really receptive" during their conversation.
Newsom's decision to commute all death sentences, announced in a letter to Californians on Thursday, marks a significant exercise of executive power. The state has not executed a prisoner since 2006, and Newsom's 2019 moratorium had already effectively halted executions. The governor acknowledged that his decision would cause distress to families who believed their loved ones' killers would face execution, stating, "My version of justice is someone's version of injustice."
The stance of Polly Klaas's sisters stands in stark contrast to that of their father, Marc Klaas. He has been a vocal critic of Newsom's approach to the death penalty, calling the commutations a "dastardly deed" and a "betrayal to the victims." He expressed anger that Newsom had heard his objections in 2019 and proceeded with the moratorium and commutations regardless. "I guess if Gavin Newsom wants to commute the baby killers, the cop killers and the serial killers, the absolute dregs of our society, then that's his business," Marc Klaas stated scathingly.
The divergent views within the Klaas family highlight the deep divisions among victims' families regarding capital punishment. Newsom is nearing the end of his term limits, with speculation about a potential presidential run in 2028.