A 64-year-old convicted child predator serving three life sentences for kidnapping and child molestation was on the verge of walking free from a California prison this week after being granted parole under the state’s “Elderly Parole Program.”
David Allen Funston, convicted in 1999 of kidnapping and molesting multiple children, was scheduled for release by week’s end, but the Placer County District Attorney’s Office intervened at the last moment by refiling charges tied to a 1996 case in Roseville, resulting in his transfer to a Placer County jail instead of his freedom.
The case has ignited fierce criticism from law enforcement officials and political figures who argue California’s parole laws are endangering communities by allowing violent offenders to secure early release. Former prosecutors and Republican leaders have pointed to the episode as evidence of systemic failures in the state’s approach to criminal justice.
How the Elderly Parole Program Enabled His Release
Funston was convicted more than two decades ago for kidnapping and molesting multiple victims. A court sentenced him to three concurrent life terms in prison in 1999. For years, his case appeared settled — until California’s parole framework opened a path to freedom…