Draft report pans oversight of Calif. sex offender, says it may not have stopped teen murder

Draft report pans oversight of Calif. sex offender

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A draft report says parole officers should have done a better job watching a Southern California sex offender now charged with murdering a teen and assaulting another woman.

But the report says closer scrutiny may not have stopped John Albert Gardner III, accused of committing the crime after he was off parole.

The preliminary report to the California Sex Offender Management Board on Thursday says that even if the 30-year-old Gardner had been sent back to prison, he would not have qualified as a sexually violent predator.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked the 18-member board of law enforcement, victims and treatment providers to investigate why Gardner was classified as low risk and not punished for repeated parole violations.