Maddy Middleton's killer will remain behind bars

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - Jurors on Wednesday determined that the man convicted of killing 8-year-old Maddy Middleton in Santa Cruz will not be released from custody.

"My heart goes to Maddy’s mom, Laura. This just took seven months of her life. The last seven months have been dedicated to this hearing and to think she would have to face that again every two years," said Shawna Spaulding, a Santa Cruz resident who attended the hearing. 

What we know:

Jurors had been deliberating since Monday on whether Adrian Jerry Gonzalez, now 25, should be freed after spending 10 years behind bars. Gonzalez admitted to the abduction, torture, rape, and murder of the girl.

Under State Senate Bill 1391, Gonzalez could have been automatically released from custody when he turned 25. 

Gonzalez can also ask to be released on parole every two years. 

Due to the violent nature of his crime, prosecutors asked a jury to deny his release because they believed he was still a danger to the community.

"What Mr. Gonzalez needs to do now, is demonstrate over the next two years that he is safe to return to society. He will continue with counseling and treatment. It’ll be up to a jury in two years to see if he can safely be returned," said Steve Clark, a Legal Analyst and Attorney based in San Jose. 

Clark says Gonzalez took the stand during the hearing, describing how he murdered Middleton and believes that left an impression on the jury. 

Gazelle Parsons says she lived near the family when the girl was killed and now, she wants SB 1391 changed.   

"Well, I think there at least needs to be an exception when a crime is this brutal. When someone is this much of a danger, it can’t just be a blanket statement," said Parsons. 

2015 murder of Maddy Middleton

The backstory:

Gonzalez killed Maddy on July 26, 2015, at the Tannery Arts Center's housing complex at 1030 River St. in Santa Cruz, where they both lived with their families, police said at the time.

He lured her into his apartment, according to police. The child had last been seen around 5 p.m. that day riding her Razor scooter outside the complex and was reported missing an hour later.

Santa Cruz police officers, county sheriff's deputies, FBI personnel, and other agencies searched for Maddy until the night of July 27, when the girl's body was found in a large recycling bin in a first-floor parking garage at the complex, according to police.

Investigators quickly detained Gonzalez, who lived in a unit above the garage, police said.

He was then arrested in connection with Maddy's murder and booked into the county juvenile detention center, according to police.

He was 15 at the time of the crime. His case had been in legal limbo because he was 21 at the time of his sentencing.

An autopsy on Maddy showed she died from asphyxiation and stab wounds to her neck, sheriff's officials said.

Gonzalez was also ordered to register as a sex offender.

The killer changed his plea to guilty in April 2021 after a California Supreme Court ruling in February decided that minors under the age of 16 cannot be tried as adults.