The third time wasn’t a charm for her.
A former criminal defense lawyer charged with murder after her vicious dogs fatally mauled a college lacrosse coach more than two decades ago in San Francisco was denied parole last Thursday.
It marked the third time a California parole board rejected 70-year-old Marjorie Knoller’s bid for freedom – and her next shot at parole was set for February 2029, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Knoller, along with her husband Robert Noel, were thrust into the limelight in January 2001 after their two massive Presa Canario dogs killed their neighbor Diane Whipple, who was returning to her San Francisco apartment from a grocery store.
Whipple, 33, never stood a chance against the beasts – a 125-pounder named Bane and a 115-pounder, Hera, that prosecutors described as “time bombs.” The couple were apparently taking care of the dogs on behalf a 38-year-old member of the Aryan Brotherhood serving a life sentence — who was one of their clients.
Among the locals, the animals had a bad reputation thanks to their temperament, earning the nickname “dog(s) of death,” according to SFGate.
Whipple – a Long Island, New York, native – was coaching lacrosse in the Bay Area when she was mauled by the dogs, who were both euthanized after the deadly attack.
Sharon Smith, Whipple’s partner at the time, attended last week’s parole hearing and urged the board to keep Knoller locked up.
“What makes this incredibly difficult is that even after 25 years, Marjorie Knoller has never fully accepted responsibility for her role and (Whipple’s) preventable death,” Smith told the panel, according to the Bay Area Reporter.
“She has never offered a sincere apology. She has never demonstrated genuine insight into the decisions that led to this tragedy,” said Smith.
The board, in explaining their ruling, reportedly labeled Knoller “an unreasonable risk to public safety.”
Knoller is serving a sentence of 15 years to life in prison for the second-degree murder conviction.
Noel, her husband, had been convicted of involuntary manslaughter. He died in 2018.
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