Michael Connolly, 78, has been granted parole for a Daly City killing—but the decision does not mean he will be released immediately. The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office opposed his release at a hearing at Folsom State Prison, according to KRON4. Connolly, who has cycled in and out of prison 30 times over the years, now faces further review before the parole grant can become final.
The San Mateo County District Attorney's Office confirmed the parole decision, according to KRON4. The office said a parole board panel determined Connolly would not pose an unreasonable danger to public safety if released. The grant is subject to legal review and becomes final within 120 days unless referred for further review, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Board of Parole Hearings. Because Connolly was convicted of murder, the governor may allow the panel’s decision to stand, reverse it, or refer it to the full board for another review.
A Predawn Attack While Already on Parole
The crime dates back to October 22, 2001, when then-54-year-old Connolly was already on parole and attacked his roommate with a knife before dawn at their Daly City residence, according to KRON4. Police who responded found the victim bleeding on the kitchen floor. Connolly, now known by the nickname the Mayor of San Quentin, was eventually tried for the killing.
A San Mateo County jury sat through a 24-day trial before deliberating for two days, ultimately finding Connolly guilty of second-degree murder on December 10, 2003, and finding true sentencing enhancements tied to his use of a knife and a prior strike conviction from earlier in his record, as reported by KRON4. The combination of the murder conviction and those enhancements shaped the severity of the sentence that followed.
A Decades-Long Sentence Now Coming to a Possible End
On January 7, 2004, Connolly was sentenced to 39 years to life in prison, as noted by KRON4. More than two decades later, at 78, he cleared the parole suitability hurdle that has kept him locked up since then — a hurdle that, statewide, most incarcerated people do not clear. A Board of Parole Hearings report notes that of hearings conducted, the vast majority resulted in denial, with a grant rate of 24 percent for all hearings held in 2025, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
California’s Prison Population Is Aging
Connolly’s age comes amid a broader shift in California prisons: since 2013, the share of incarcerated people who are 50 or older has increased, while the share ages 18 to 29 has declined, according to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office.
The parole grant therefore remains subject to the review process before Connolly could be released. No timeline for a decision in his case was included in the details made public so far.
