Knights Landing triple murderer granted parole after serving 31 years in prison

A convicted triple murderer was granted parole Wednesday by the Board of Parole Hearings at California State Prison, Corcoran, according to the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office.

Anthony King, 49, was 16 years old when he and Kenneth Bivert killed three people at a fishing spot in Knights Landing in September 1987, according to a news release. On Sept. 6, 1987, King and Bivert shot and killed 35-year-old Steven Patton before stealing his truck and going on a joyride. They dumped his body in the nearby river and abandoned his truck in a slough.

Two days later, they shot killed Raymond and Dawn Rogers at the same fishing spot before stealing their car and using it as a getaway vehicle for a bank robbery, the DA’s office said. They were caught and arrested four days later in Oregon.

King and Bivert were both sentenced to 52 years to life in prison in 1988. Bivert, now 50, was later sentenced to death for fatally stabbing another inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison in 2001, according to the release.

King’s first attempt at parole in February 2015 was rejected.

“Your change is a complete turnaround from what we saw when you were 16,” Commissioner Rosalio Castro told King in the parole hearing. “We felt you showed good insight and remorse and you have realistic parole plans.”

Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven did not argue against parole but did offer comments about King’s risk assessment during the hearing.

“Mr. King has been given a second chance by Commissioners Castro and Uroni,” Raven said in the release. “I hope he earns it by living a crime-free life in society and using his time to help and support others in honor of the victims Steve Patton, Dawn Rogers and Raymond Rogers.”

King’s release could be blocked, as all parole grants must go through Gov. Gavin Newsom, who could overturn the board’s decision.