Parole denied El Dorado County man who murdered stepson in 1985

A man who fatally shot his 14-year-old stepson and wounded his wife and another stepson in El Dorado County in 1985 has been denied parole.

Robert Kaser shot his wife, Priscilla, and stepsons Ehren, 14, and Myles, 12, with a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun on Aug. 17, 1985, according to an El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office news release. Ehren died of his wounds three days later, and Myles and his mother survived.

In 1986, a jury found Kaser guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, and he was sentenced to 34 years to life in prison.

Kaser successfully appealed the conviction, arguing that the jury improperly considered information that Kaser had acted in a threatening manner toward co-workers in the past, according to the news release. The 3rd District Court of Appeal overturned the jury’s verdict and the case was returned to El Dorado County for a new trial.

In November 1989, Kaser reached an agreement with the District Attorney’s Office, pleading no contest to second-degree murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapons for a stipulated sentence of 21 years to life in prison.

The State Board of Prison Terms on Nov. 1 considered Kaser’s request for parole. Assistant District Attorney Joe Alexander argued during the parole hearing that Kaser had not adequately dealt with his anger issues and that Kaser’s repeated claim that the shooting was the only act of violence he had ever committed was untrue, according to the news release. Alexander presented examples of other acts of violence Kaser committed prior to the murder, including proof of his threatening behavior toward co-workers and acts of violence directed at juveniles.

The surviving victims and family members argued that Kaser was still a danger to them, and that he had not shown remorse or taken responsibility for the crime, according to the news release.

The board denied Kaser’s request for parole, citing his lack of insight into the reasons he committed the murder, and his lack of rehabilitative efforts in the area of anger management and domestic violence, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Kaser, now 77 years old, is at San Quentin State Prison. He will be reconsidered for parole in three years.

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Parole denied El Dorado County man who murdered stepson in 1985."