Parole denied in 1993 murder near Orland

California’s Board of Parole Hearings denied parole to Gary Lewis Cooper on November 4th, 2026, according to information from the Glenn County District Attorney’s Office. Cooper is serving a sentence of 25 years to life for the murder of Filiberto Mendoza near Orland.

The state’s hearing calendar listed Cooper’s parole reconsideration by video from California State Prison, Corcoran. Prosecutors said Assistant District Attorney Coffey appeared by video to oppose Cooper’s release. According to the account of the hearing, the panel found that releasing Cooper would pose an unreasonable risk to public safety.

Mendoza was lured to Stony Creek northeast of Orland, where he was shot twice on August 21st, 1993. Prosecutors said Cooper admitted that he received money and drugs in exchange for killing Mendoza. Cooper was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced in 1994.

Cooper was granted parole in October 2015 and returned to prison in 2017 after a parole violation. He was granted parole again in 2022. The district attorney’s office said Cooper returned to prison after his January 19th, 2024 arrest for methamphetamine use in violation of his parole conditions. Glenn County prosecutors opposed both releases.

The board previously denied Cooper parole in August 2024. State records show that it denied him parole for one year at another hearing on November 18th, 2025.