DAVIS, Calif. — An appellate court denied an appeal Wednesday for the convicted killer of a Davis couple that could have given him an early release.
The defendant in the appeal was Daniel Marsh, who was convicted of killing and mutilating 87-year-old Oliver "Chip" Northrup and his 76-year-old wife Claudia Maupin back in 2013. At the age of 15, Marsh was tried as an adult and sentenced to 52 years in prison.
In a court ruling, it says Marsh argued his case fell under Senate Bill 1391, a bill that keeps juveniles under the age of 16 from being prosecuted as adults. Generally, under the bill, the longest the juvenile justice system can hold someone is up to age 25, whereas someone tried as an adult could see life in prison.
The court ultimately dismissed the appeal saying that the judgment was final before the bill went into effect.
In a statement from the Yolo County District Attorney's Office, officials said they felt vindicated in the court's ruling that Marsh would stay convicted as an adult.
“We never believed the change in the law prohibiting persons under the age of 16 from being tried as adults applied to Marsh," the District Attorney's Office statement says. "While this is not necessarily the end of the appellate process, it is one more positive step in the right direction. As satisfied as we are about this ruling, we are equally relieved for the survivors who have to keep relieving this tragedy in each ongoing court proceeding."
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