In 1993, Robert Schippmann drove his estranged wife Juli Mathis Schippmann to an isolated area near Caiocca Pass in Angwin, shot and killed her, and turned the gun on himself in an unsuccessful suicide attempt.
Schippmann, 79, has been in prison ever since, and with a parole hearing scheduled for Sept. 28, Juli’s mother, Joanne Mathis Wilson, is determined to keep him there.
Schippmann was sentenced to 19 years to life, and lately he’s been coming up for parole every 18 months. In the run-up to each parole hearing, Wilson, who lives in St. Helena, collects signatures and encourages people to send letters to the parole board urging for Schippmann to be denied parole.
His parole requests have been rejected repeatedly, most recently in February 2016, and Wilson said she believes the letters are a factor.
“It helps keep him behind bars,” Wilson said. “The letters and signatures of people who don’t want him out – they really help.”
Despite shooting himself, Schippmann survived and eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with an enhancement for using a gun.
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In previous parole hearings, the Napa County District Attorney’s Office has joined Wilson and her family in arguing against Schippmann’s release, citing the heinousness of his crime, his history of violence against women, and his need for additional rehabilitation to gain insight into the crime before the public can be assured that he will not commit another one.
“We don’t want someone high-risk to be released,” said Wilson, who attends each of Schippmann’s parole hearings even though she says she hates looking him in the face.
Letters may be sent to the Board of Parole Hearings, Pre-Hearings Correspondence Unit, P.O. Box 4036, Sacramento, CA 95812. Copies may be sent to the Napa County District Attorney’s Office, Attn: Paul Gero, 931 Parkway Mall, Napa, CA 94559. Letters should include Schippmann’s case number (15090) and CDC number (H96002).