Thomas Luster, a 62-year-old convicted of raping an unconscious person, was released on parole supervision on October 11 after serving what the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation described as his full sentence. The department emphasized that his release was not early but resulted from accumulated work time and good conduct credits totaling 977 days.
Luster was originally sentenced in 2003 to 124 years in prison for his crime, but a judge significantly reduced the sentence to 50 years in 2013. Since then, he has served approximately 25 years, including time under house arrest and in pretrial detention. According to the Ventura County district attorney’s office, Luster’s offense is legally classified as nonviolent, which under state law allows offenders to become eligible for release after serving 50% of their sentence.
Two years ago, a state corrections department board initially granted Luster’s early parole despite opposition from his three victims, who spoke against his release during the board hearing. Ventura County prosecutors also challenged the decision, arguing that Luster continued to downplay the severity of his crimes and posed a risk to public safety. Following the appeal, the parole board commissioners ultimately overturned the early release grant.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko stated last year that his office would continue to strongly oppose any early parole for Luster. However, Nasarenko acknowledged that, due to the 2013 sentence reduction despite prosecutorial objections, Luster’s release was set for late 2026 at the latest. The recent release comes ahead of that anticipated date, reflecting credits earned under provisions established by Proposition 57.
Judge Kathryne Ann Stoltz, who vacated Luster’s original 124-year sentence in 2013, described the crime tapes presented during trial as “disturbing,” noting the victims appeared lifeless while Luster displayed expressions of gloating to the camera. Although she agreed the original sentence was excessive, Stoltz criticized Luster’s behavior and questioned many of his defense’s arguments. She pointed to evidence that while Luster was a fugitive in Mexico, he compiled a “payback list” naming prosecutors, law enforcement officers, victims, and one of his former attorneys.
Luster’s legal team contended his flight to Mexico was prompted by a former attorney’s warnings that he would be killed in prison, portraying the escape as a flight for survival. Judge Stoltz rejected this claim, concluding that his departure was voluntary.
Proposition 57, passed by California voters in 2016 to address prison overcrowding, grants state correctional officials discretion to award credits reducing inmates’ time served and enables more frequent parole hearings for nonviolent offenders. Luster’s release reflects the application of these rules to his case, despite ongoing concerns expressed by victims and prosecutors regarding public safety.