A Sacramento murder-for-hire case from 2006 has returned to headlines after Governor Gavin Newsom commuted the life sentence of one of the men involved in the shocking crime. Arthur Battle, now 37, will soon be eligible for parole after spending his entire adult life behind bars following his conviction for a murder-for-hire plot when he was just 18 years old.
The case that once gripped Sacramento began with what appeared to be a simple evening trip to rent a movie at Hollywood Video near Del Paso Country Club. According to KCRA, as 19-year-old Vardan Abramyan headed inside to rent a movie, his father Norik Abramyan, 45, waited in their Kia. Gunshots rang out in the parking lot as multiple shooters fired into the vehicle, killing the elder Abramyan.
The $500 Contract
What seemed like a robbery gone wrong quickly unraveled into something far more sinister. Investigators learned the getaway car was linked to Vardan Abramyan's acquaintances: Isaiah Dupree Barron, 19, Battle, then 18, and Jason Dillingham, 18, as reported by KCRA. Court documents from People v. Battle reveal that Barron recruited Battle and Dillingham to assist him in killing Norik, offering and eventually paying each of them $500.
The twisted family dynamics became clearer during trial proceedings. Abramyan testified that he had paid to have his father killed, convinced that the man would kill someone in his family if he didn't. However, prosecutors downplayed this motive, claiming the teenager had his father killed for financial gain. Separate juries found all four men guilty of first-degree murder, and each was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Path to Rehabilitation
What sets Battle's case apart from his co-defendants is his demonstrated commitment to rehabilitation during incarceration. In the years since his conviction, Battle earned his GED and continued his education despite having no hope of release, taking college courses and working as an aide serving other incarcerated people with disabilities. Corrections staff regard him highly for his genuine commitment to the rehabilitative process.
As a result, Newsom has commuted Battle's sentence to 21 years to life, as per a report by SF Gate. With 19 years already served, this means Battle will soon be eligible for hearings in front of the parole board. He is currently incarcerated at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton.
Clemency Context
This commutation comes at a time when Governor Newsom has been actively using his clemency powers. While in office, he has granted a total of 247 pardons, 160 commutations and 42 reprieves, as noted by Mercury News. The timing coincides with a broader pattern of clemency grants for murder cases, as evidenced by Newsom's recent commutation allowing 45-year-old Cuong Tran to make his case for parole at an earlier date.
"This act of clemency for Mr. Battle does not minimize or forgive his conduct or the harm it caused," Newsom wrote in his decision, as mentioned in an SF Gate report. "It does recognize the work he has done since to transform himself." The other three co-defendants—Dupree, Abramyan and Dillingham—remain incarcerated with their original sentences of life without parole intact.
The case reflects ongoing debates about California's approach to juvenile justice and rehabilitation, particularly for individuals who commit serious crimes as teenagers but demonstrate sustained rehabilitation efforts. While Battle may soon have the opportunity to make his case before a parole board, any potential release will still require careful review by parole officials who must determine whether he poses a risk to public safety.
