Over the objections of the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, convicted murderer Jerry McKiearnan, 72, will be placed in a skilled nursing home, most likely in Tulare County.

The California Parole Board recommended McKiearnan’s transfer on Wednesday. He is serving a life sentence at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton and isn’t eligible for parole until 2024.

“I’ve been a prosecutor for a long time, but the crime scene photos prosecutors reviewed in preparing to argue against the defendant’s placement were some of the most horrific I have ever seen,” District Attorney Tim Ward said in a news release. “The proper placement for the defendant is behind prison walls and not back in our community or any other community in California.”

Murder Took Place in 1999

In late 1999, police officers found the dismembered victim in a Visalia apartment that he shared with McKiearnan. A search of the apartment uncovered several plastic bags containing the victim’s body parts, along with a hacksaw and knife with McKiearnan’s fingerprints.

About a year later, McKiearnan was convicted of first-degree murder.

McKiearnan’s previous criminal history included felony and misdemeanor convictions for possession of a controlled substance dating to 1974.

Conditions of Release

The conditions of McKiearnan’s release to a skilled nursing home include GPS monitoring, not leaving the facility without written approval, alcohol and drug testing, medical evaluations, and no weapons.