Convicted killer of Marin woman denied parole
A former Lagunitas man convicted of killing his 70-year-old neighbor has been denied parole for another five years.
Sean McDonald DeRutte is serving 15 years to life in prison for the murder of Jane Ross in 1986. She was beaten, sexually assaulted and left in her bathtub to die, authorities said.
DeRutte was 19 years old at the time. Ross was a widowed school secretary who had befriended him, authorities said.
Investigators linked DeRutte to a bloody palm print found at the scene. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, avoiding a potential sentence of 25 years to life. DeRutte’s attorney and family blamed his conduct on drug use and mental problems.
DeRutte, a 58-year-old inmate at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, has been denied parole several times. His latest unsuccessful parole hearing was on Dec. 16.