Justine Vanderschoot’s murderer up for parole March 23

The Placer County DA is joining the Vanderschoot family once again to ask the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation parole board to deny Justine Vanderschoot’s murderer, Daniel Bezemer, parole.  

In Aug. 2022, the parole board reviewed the totality of the circumstances surrounding the crime, the lasting effect of the crime on the family and the community, as well as a report on the inmate’s behavior during his time in prison, among other factors. After a five-hour long hearing, the board decided to deny parole for Daniel Bezemer for three years. 

In Oct. 2022, the Executive Board of the Board of Parole Hearings, a division of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, voted to vacate Daniel Bezemer’s Aug. 10 parole hearing that resulted in him being denied parole for three years. 

The vote was made based on a “procedural error” with CDCR stating their recording device was unable to record the entirety of the original hearing. The board then voted to allow Bezemer a new hearing to ensure the recording of the entire hearing. 

The Placer County District Attorney’s Office is asking community members to write the CDCR parole board to let them know what this case means to Placer County residents to this day. People interested in doing so can learn more here.  

**Letters are due this coming Monday!!**

During the October vote, Justine’s father explained the pain these hearings put their family through. He emphasized their work to “remember the good times with Justine” and how parole hearings continuously “rip off the band aid” during the healing process. 

The Vanderschoot family have always turned their pain into purpose through educating the community of Justine’s story and the dangers of teen dating violence.