The district attorney's office has been consistent in their opposition to the early release of Andrew Stuart Luster, the man convicted in 2003 for multiple counts of rape. District Attorney Erik Nasarenko reaffirmed their position recently, pushing back against the prospect of Luster leaving prison before serving his full sentence. According to the district attorney's office, Luster was sentenced to 124 years but had his sentence reduced to 50 years in 2013. "We will continue to strenuously oppose any early release from state prison," Nasarenko was quoted as saying in an official statement.
Despite objections from prosecutors and the victims, the parole board in August of 2024 initially decided to grant Luster early release. After that decision was challenged, a majority of the parole board commissioners reversed it, noting concerns that Luster misrepresents his actions, shows a lack of rehabilitation, and poses a threat to the public. Senior Deputy District Attorney Anthony Wold, taking part in the 2025 parole hearing, served as the prosecutor during Luster's trial. Wold stressed, "Even now, he attempts to rewrite the history of his heinous crimes to falsely mitigate his culpability to gain early release." This reflects the position prosecutors will maintain at the hearing scheduled for next Tuesday.
The upcoming parole hearing winds up as a crucial juncture in the case, as victims plan to once again make their opposition known. The prior attempt at release was met with their vocal disapproval, underlining the impacts of Luster's actions still resonating with those directly affected. These victims had to endure Luster’s criminal acts, which involved drugging them to a coma-like state for his abusive purposes. "Andrew Luster played Russian roulette with the lives of his victims so he could abuse their comatose bodies," Wold condemned in his remarks, reflecting on the gravity of the crimes.
The district attorney's office has consistently argued that Luster, defined by the office as a "highly dangerous sexual predator," should complete his reduced sentence, which would see his release in late 2026. With the rescheduled hearing only days away, prosecutors and victims are gearing up for another round of appeals to ensure that Luster serves his due time behind bars.
