Parole denied for Seaside man convicted of “slaughtering” four family members in 1977

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) Update July 6, 2023, at 4:19 a.m.- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Wednesday that a man convicted of slaughtering four female members of his family back in 1977 was denied parole by the California Board of Parole.

In August 1977, Harold Bicknell was 19 years old and his pregnant girlfriend, Terri, was 14. At the time, Bicknell's grandmother, 66-year-old Josephine Smith, lived with her 28-year-old daughter, Suzanne Harris, who is Bicknell's aunt.

Smith's 15-year-old granddaughter, Renee Ferguson, and 6-year-old granddaughter, Rachel Harris, also lived at the home.

Renee apparently shared that Bicknell had a sexual relationship with Terri, and Bicknell said during Terri's trial that he cornered Renee in a bedroom and stabbed her in the heart. After that, he said he “grabbed her bra and tied her hands behind her back because she began to struggle.”

He then said he stabbed her in the throat several times while Terri held a gag over her mouth.

Bicknell said Suzanne Harris saw what happened, so he chased her to the kitchen and stabbed her. When Smith entered the room, he said he punched her in the face.

Another cousin of his who was in the home at the time, juvenile Rayleen F., and her friend Karen K. saw what happened, and Bicknell claimed that Karen stabbed Smith and not him.

He said Terri brought Rachel Harris to the kitchen and stabbed her, but she got away, so he chased her and stabbed her more than 40 times.

Bicknell was granted parole for the first time in February 2019. The Board of Parole Hearings said he was granted parole because he had a clean record while in prison, because of his age at the time, because of an abusive childhood and other reasons.

Bicknell confessed to several people before the trial, according to the DA's Office, but then denied his involvement. Despite that, a jury found him guilty using evidence that included footprint matches, testimony from witnesses and his previous statements. After he was found guilty, Bicknell made a detailed taped confession with his attorney and again claimed to be guilty during his sentencing. Later, he testified against his juvenile girlfriend at the time, Terri M.

Three of Mr. Bicknell’s sisters (granddaughters of Josephine Smith) were present and spoke at both the 2021 and 2023 hearings; they begged the Board of Parole to deny Mr. Bicknell parole. They pointed out they did not feel they would be safe, nor family members of theirs, as Mr. Bicknell’s triggers appear to be female family members.

Monterey County District Attorney's Office

On July 5, 2023, Bicknell was denied parole for another three years.

Parole rescinded for Monterey County man convicted of killing four family members in 1977

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office announced Monday that the California Board of Parole has rescinded the parole granted to Harold Bicknell last summer.

Bicknell's parole was granted in July 2020, despite opposition from family members who wrote letters and appeared during the hearing. The commissioners who represented the board said they did not find Bicknell's denial of involvement implausible, and Bicknell also claimed that he faced childhood abuse. One of his sisters said that Bicknell was the one who was the abuser, and he was not her protector like he claimed. She said Bicknell strangled her before her stepmother took her and the other siblings out of fear for their safety.

Monterey County man found guilty of killing four family members granted parole

At the hearing, the DA's Office said the family told the board that 10 years in prison for each victim was not enough and said that his lies and denials showed that he still presents a danger to society.

Several months later in December, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered an en banc review of the case. According to Fordham Law Review, hearing a case en banc "allows the full circuit court to overturn a decision reached by a three-judge panel. Several sources say this type of review is often considered a last resort when a significant issue is at stake or if it is requested by a party in the case and agreed to by the court.

Gov. Newsom orders review of parole granted to convicted Seaside murderer

The board said it rescinded the parole due to "both mistakes of law and fact" and because the parole commissioners found that Bicknell is a potential danger to the public because he denied his involvement and failed to address factors leading up to or contributing to the crime.

The DA's Office said Harold Bicknell has confessed to the murders multiple times and testified against his girlfriend at the time, but now he claims to be innocent.

Bicknell confessed to several people before the trial, according to the DA's Office, but then denied his involvement, saying the confessions were due to hypnosis. A jury found him guilty using evidence that included footprint matches, testimony from witnesses and his previous statements. After he was found guilty, Bicknell made a detailed taped confession with his attorney and again claimed to be guilty during his sentencing. Later, he testified against his juvenile girlfriend at the time, Terri M.

In August 1977, Bicknell was 19 years old and his pregnant girlfriend, Terri, was 14. At the time, Bicknell's grandmother, 66-year-old Josephine Smith, lived with her 28-year-old daughter, Suzanne Harris, who is Bicknell's aunt. Smith's 15-year-old granddaughter, Renee Ferguson, and 6-year-old granddaughter, Rachel Harris, also lived at the home.

Renee apparently shared that Bicknell had a sexual relationship with Terri, and Bicknell said during Terri's trial that he cornered Renee in a bedroom and stabbed her in the heart. After that, he said he “grabbed her bra and tied her hands behind her back because she began to struggle.” He then said he stabbed her in the throat several times while Terri held a gag over her mouth.

Bicknell said Suzanne Harris saw what happened, so he chased her to the kitchen and stabbed her. When Smith entered the room, he said he punched her in the face.

Another cousin of his who was in the home at the time, juvenile Rayleen F., and her friend Karen K. saw what happened, and Bicknell claimed that Karen stabbed Smith and not him.

He said Terri brought Rachel Harris to the kitchen and stabbed her, but she got away so he chased her and stabbed her more than 40 times.

The DA's Office says other women who are family members or previously had a romantic relationship with him say Bicknell was abusive and went “overboard with problems with girls, and those problems were always the girl’s fault.”

Bicknell was granted parole for the first time in February 2019. The Board of Parole Hearings said he was granted parole because he had a clean record while in prison, because of his age at the time, because of an abusive childhood and other reasons. Bicknell's surviving family members said they were under the impression that he would likely never be paroled and opposed the decision. Gov. Gavin Newsom reversed the decision, saying he was still a danger to society.