OAKLAND — Twenty years after the crime that landed her in prison on a life sentence, an East Bay woman has been freed from incarceration through a court motion filed by the Alameda County District Attorney’s office, court records show.
Ava McDonald, 53, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of Oakland resident Stacy Alexander, who was shot and killed by McDonald’s romantic partner as the pair hunted down Alexander in 2003. But on June 14, prosecutors successfully moved to free her from prison, using a section of the penal code that allows a district attorney to commute or reduce a person’s sentence post-conviction.
The motion, filed by assistant district attorney Erin Loback, says that in the 20 years she’s been incarcerated, McDonald has had no “serious discipline” and “has taken advantage of countless opportunities to participate in rehabilitative programming.”
“Before her first parole hearing was scheduled earlier this year, a psychologist evaluated her and determined she poses a low risk of reoffense if released,” Loback wrote, later adding, “Having reviewed her release plans, her risk assessment, and her prison records, and having had the chance to evaluate her at the partial parole hearing in April, the People are asking the court to resentence Ms. McDonald so she can be released.”
In 2003, McDonald and her partner, Richard Juniel, were arrested and charged with murdering Alexander amid an ongoing feud between her and McDonald. Authorities say days before the murder, McDonald had threatened Alexander with a baseball bat while they argued.
In March 2003, McDonald drove Juniel, 41, around Oakland until they spotted Alexander, at which point he fired at her with an assault pistol. Alexander, wounded in the arm and the back, attempted to run away, but McDonald put the car into reverse and Juniel shot a third time, striking her in the head, according to prosecutors.
During their 2004 trial, McDonald argued that Alexander had threatened her and previously mistreated her son, while Juniel represented himself and testified in his own defense, court records show.
Juniel, who was sentenced to 50 years to life, will be eligible for parole in 2027, according to prison records. He is currently incarcerated in California State Prison, Los Angeles County.
Source: www.mercurynews.com