A man convicted of murdering a Nipomo bartender in 1974 is now eligible for immediate release after state officials declined to step in. Alberto Tamez Jr., now 75, was granted parole by the state parole board late last year, and that decision became final when the governor took no action on April 24, 2026. The move has drawn sharp criticism from San Luis Obispo County prosecutors and residents who still remember the killing.
DA Condemns Decision
According to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office, the Board of Parole Hearings granted Tamez parole on Dec. 30, 2025, and the governor chose to take no further action when that decision was forwarded on April 24. District Attorney Dan Dow said his office opposed the release at every stage and called the outcome deeply disappointing. He added that prosecutors would use every lawful tool available to pursue accountability for the victim, according to the county statement.
How the parole decision unfolded
Per the California Board of Parole Hearings, the panel recorded a "grant" for Tamez on Dec. 30, 2025, following a suitability hearing. The board's published roster lists Tamez's CDCR number and the hearing date, marking the procedural step that opened the door to gubernatorial review. Under state procedure, a governor's inaction within the review window can allow a parole grant to move ahead toward release.
The 1974 killing
Genevieve Adaline Moreno, 56, disappeared on the night of June 17, 1974, while finishing a shift at Old Blues Bar in Nipomo. Her husband later arrived to find the bar empty and the register cleaned out. Her body was discovered the next morning beneath a grove of eucalyptus trees about a quarter-mile from the bar, and the medical examiner ruled the death a homicidal strangulation, with other injuries consistent with assault. Law enforcement reported finding blood on Tamez's clothing and later said he admitted to striking, robbing and dragging Moreno to the grove, according to reporting by the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
What prosecutors say and what's next
Dow's office said prosecutors opposed Tamez's 2023 petition under Penal Code §1172.6 and filed a written opposition in April 2024, but the defense later withdrew that petition on July 9, 2025. The district attorney's statement maintained that the record of conviction conclusively established Tamez as the sole and actual killer and said the office will continue to support victims' families as the release moves forward. County officials did not outline any new immediate legal filings in the DA's release, beyond promising continued oversight.
How the governor's review works
The governor's website explains that after the Board of Parole Hearings recommends parole, the case is sent to the Governor for review and that incarcerated people are entitled to release unless they currently pose an unreasonable risk to public safety. The state also notes that the governor's review can take up to 150 days and that members of the public may submit input through the governor's contact page. With Newsom declining further action, the administrative review window closed and the parole grant moved toward finalization.
For Nipomo residents and Moreno's relatives, the development has reopened old wounds. County leaders say they will keep pressing for accountability and remembrance as the remaining legal steps play out. The DA's full statement and the board's hearing record are publicly available for readers who want to pore over the original documents themselves.
