Former Salinas school bus driver gets life sentence without parole for 1981 murder of Carmel mother

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- UPDATE ON JUNE 7, 2023 AT 2:18 PM: On Wednesday afternoon, a former Salinas school bus driver got a life sentence without the possibility of parole for murdering Carmel Point mother Sonia Carmen Herok-Stone.

Michael Scott Glazebrook,67, was convicted back in February for the October 1981 murder. His defense team wanted to appeal the sentencing but was denied by Monterey Superior Court Judge Pamala Butler.

He was found guilty of first-degree murder with the special allegation he committed the crime during the commission or attempted commission of rape, said the Monterey County District Attorney's Office. The murder happened while Glazebrook, 25 at the time, was neighbors with Stone at the time of the murder

There were victim impact statements which included a statement from Stone's daughter Sasha and her ex-husband. Both talked about how deeply this murder impacted their lives.

Her death resulted in a false murder allegation for her former husband from the public. That forced him to leave the country and relocate to Canada.

Sonia's daughter Sasha said her mother's murder happened when she was four and a half years old. Very early on she felt the world was an unsafe place, and she has not married because of the fear instilled by Glazebrook's crimes.

"She had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death with her own pantyhose. Herok-Stone had a broken left ring fingernail with blood beneath it, indicating she had scratched her killer before her death," said the district attorney's office.

At the time of questioning when the murder occurred Glazebrook had a scratch on the right side of his face toward his jawline, said the district attorney's office.

In 1983, he was tried for murder, resulting in a hung jury.

The defense noted Glazebrook was a loved little league coach and school bus driver for many years. He became a father and grandfather and was never charged with another crime.

Sentencing for former Salinas school bus driver found guilty in murder of Carmel mother delayed

UPDATE ON APRIL 26, 2023 AT 2:47 PM: The family of Sonia Carmen Herok-Stone continues to wait for the sentencing of Michael Glazebrook, 67, who was convicted of murdering the young Carmel mother.

They are facing a new reality, justice is not theirs yet. Stone was murdered in Oct. of 1981 by Glazebrook, who lived across the street from her when he was 25. She was found murdered in her home while her daughter was at school.

"She had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death with her own pantyhose. Herok-Stone had a broken left ring fingernail with blood beneath it, indicating she had scratched her killer before her death," said the district attorney's office.

The defense argued a juror, who is a lab technician, was biased and injected her thoughts into another juror. They argue she was unable to put away outside information and only use the information given to her within the trial. The motion for a new trial was denied.

The defense filed a second motion saying prosecutors took too long to file charges and asked for a new hearing on June 7. The judge will rule on this new motion. If denied, Glazebrook will be sentenced on June 7.

He was found guilty of first-degree murder with the special allegation he committed the crime during the commission or attempted commission of rape, said the Monterey County District Attorney's Office. He faces a life sentence with no possibility of parole.

In 1983, he was tried for murder, resulting in a hung jury.

WATCH: Former Salinas school bus driver found guilty in murder of Carmel Point mother back in 1981

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office is holding a press conference Wednesday to speak on the conviction of a cold case murder from 1981.

A former Salinas school bus driver was found guilty in the murder of a Carmel mother that took place in 1981. He was found guilty in a Salinas courtroom Tuesday.

Former Salinas school bus driver found guilty in murder of Carmel Point mother back in 1981

CARMEL, Calif. (KION)- UPDATE ON FEB. 7, 2023 AT 5:47 PM: A former Salinas school bus driver was found guilty in the murder of a Carmel mother that took place in 1981. He was found guilty in a Salinas courtroom Tuesday.

Michael Scott Glazebrook, now in his mid-60s, was found guilty of first-degree murder, rape and special circumstances, according to our reporter on the scene.

Glazebrook lived his normal life in Seaside and was a school bus driver for the Salinas Unified High School District. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office arrested him for a 1981 homicide in 2021. Sonia Stone, a single mother, was his neighbor at the time. The arrest left many residents including students in disbelief.

Suspect faces trial in 40-year-old Carmel cold case

UPDATE ON JAN. 31, 2023 AT 5:47 PM: Michael Scott Glazebrook is facing trial for the alleged sexual assault and murder of Sonia Carmen Herok Stone.

Prosecutors have new evidence that Glazebrook's DNA was retested. This was not Glazebrook's first time being a suspect.

In 1983, he was tried for murder which resulted in a hung jury. The trial was supposed to start back in October but was delayed due to the overwhelming amount of documents to review.

Glazebrook will be in court on Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. at the Salinas Courtroom.

UPDATE 8/16/2021 8:45 p.m.- Michael Scott Glazebrook was appointed a public defender and appeared in court for his arraignment on Monday. Glazebrook pleaded not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder for the death of Sonia Carmen Herok Stone.

Glazebrook lived his normal life in Seaside and was a school bus driver for the Salinas Unified High School District. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office arrested him for a 1981 homicide on Saturday. Sonia Stone, a single mother, was his neighbor at the time. The arrest left many residents including students in disbelief.

“That is very unsafe for your kids to be riding a bus with a murderer," said Kristal Gonzalez, a SUHSD student. 

Detectives identified Stone's neighbor, Michael Scott Glazebrook, as the prime suspect. The then 25-year-old was arrested and went to trial, which resulted in a hung jury.

“A hung jury just happens when 12 jurors can't reach a unanimous verdict as to guilty or not guilty,” said Monterey County District Attorney,  Matthew L’Heureux. “So that gives the DHS office the option to retry it if we choose to do so at that time we elected not to.”

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office confirms that their detectives began re-examining the case alongside Deputy District Attorney Matt L’Heureux late last year. 

“The status of forensics has improved drastically between 1983 and 2021,” said District Attorney L’Heureux. “That is going to be an important part of the case that we have built against this suspect.”

As part of the investigation, evidence in the case file was subjected to DNA tests that were not available in the 80s. Glazebrook's DNA was found on the evidence.

“It’s always satisfying when you, when you get a positive match like that and bring justice for the family,” said Monterey County Sheriff Steve Bernal. “Stone's 44-year-old daughter was notified after the arrest and needless to say she was overcome with happiness that finally justice might come in this case.”

Glazebrook is now 65 years old and has been identified as a bus driver for the Salinas Unified High School District and a football coach.  The Salinas Unified School District responded to the allegations stating, "The safety and security of our students is top priority. Once we were notified of the arrest, we began the process to place Mr. Glazebrook on administrative leave."

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information to contact Detective Arras Wilson at 831-755-7203 or Detective Sergeant Bryan Hoskins at 831-755-3773.

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In October of 1981, officers with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the home of Sonia Carmen Herok Stone, where they found the 30-year-old dead. It was determined that she had been murdered.

Detectives identified Stone's neighbor, Michael Scott Glazebrook, as the prime suspect. The then 25-year-old was arrested and went to trial, which resulted in a hung jury.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office confirms that their detectives began re-examining the case with Deputy District Attorney Matt L’Heureux late last year. As part of the investigation, evidence in the case file was subjected to DNA tests that did not exist at the time of the murder. Glazebrook's DNA was found on the evidence.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office says Glazebrook was arrested Saturday night and subsequently booked into the Monterey County Jail.

The now 65-year-old's bail has been set at $1,000,000.