Killer of Redlands teen to go free despite objections by San Bernardino County DA

After nearly two decades in prison, the man who killed Redlands teenager Kelly Laurel Bullwinkle is about to be released.

Damien Matthew Guerrero, 39, was granted parole despite objections by the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. The DA’s office previously asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to intervene.

"He is someone who could kill again if the circumstances presented themselves and the opportunity presented themselves," Connie Lasky, with the county's Life and Parole Unit, told ABC7.

Guerrero was granted parole suitability by a Board of Parole Hearings panel in January.

A release date for Guerrero has not been confirmed, but the DA's office said prisoners typically are released from within 120 days of being granted parole.

Kelly Bullwinkle killed

At 18, Bullwinkle was a full-time student at Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa and a 2003 graduate of Redlands’ East Valley High School.

On Sept. 13, 2003, Guerrero and Kinzie Gene Noordman lured their friend, Bullwinkle, to San Timoteo Canyon in south Redlands, the DA’s office said. Guerrero and Noordman then shot Bullwinkle and buried her in a shallow grave they had dug the previous day. They placed a couch over it to cover it up, the DA said.

"Kinzie and Kelly were walking along the path ... Damien was behind them, he said, 'Kelly,' she turned around and he shot her in the face," Lasky told ABC. "Damien then handed the gun to Kinzie, the gun jammed. Kinzie handed the gun back to Damien, Damien cleared the jam in the gun, then Kinzie fired the kill shot."

In 2004, Dr. Frank Sheridan, a forensic pathologist and former chief medical examiner for San Bernardino County, testified that an autopsy showed that Bullwinkle was shot twice in the head.

After killing Bullwinkle, the duo established an alibi by going out to dinner and seeing a movie. They also dumped her vehicle at the Ontario Mills Mall, the DA stated.

On Sept. 13, 2003, Bullwinkle was last seen working at Bakers Burgers; the following day, her Mazda Protege was located at the mall. Her roommate reported her missing two days after she was last seen by co-workers.

Guerrero and Noordman later helped Bullwinkle's family, friends, and the community search for the missing teen. They even attended a memorial service after her body was found, the DA reported.

After the service, Noordman and her friends painted a monument to Bullwinkle that was placed where her body was found.

Redlands Police Chief James Bueermann told the Los Angeles Times that the whole time, Noordman was misleading police.

“I have never worked a case where one of the people actually helping police, or purporting to help police, is in fact the killer,” Bueermann said.

On Oct. 4, 2003, paintballers found the body of Bullwinkle near an orange grove near San Timoteo Canyon and Alessandro roads.

Guerrero and Noordman under surveillance 

As police began re-examining the victim’s friends, Guerrero and Noordman were placed on round-the-clock surveillance

Police discovered that Guerrero had the same type of handgun used to kill Bullwinkle, the LA Times reported. In a statement to police, Guerrero and Noordman said the shooting of Bullwinkle was an accident.

During the trial, allegations were heard that Bullwinkle was shot in a love triangle and that the shooting started as a joke to scare Bullwinkle. It was also discovered that Noordman and Guerrero were fans of the violent film "Natural Born Killers," with friends saying they considered themselves soul mates, according to CBS News.

Rotten Tomatoes summarizes the 1994 film as two young, attractive serial killers who become tabloid-TV darlings, thanks to a sensationalistic press that reports the pair’s 52-people killing spree.

In 2005, Guerrero told the court that when he pulled his .25-caliber semi-automatic from his pocket, it accidentally discharged and struck Bullwinkle in the head, sending her to the ground still alive.

When Guerrero dropped the weapon, Noordman told him to shoot her again. When he refused, Noordman picked up the gun and fired, striking Bullwinkle's head and killing her.

Guerrero pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2008 after a jury failed to reach a verdict for first-degree murder. He was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, the district attorney reported.

In 2005, Noordman, now 39, was convicted of first-degree murder and will not be eligible for parole until 2027, according to the DA.

During the trial, Bullwinkle's late mother, Diana, requested the maximum sentence for her daughter’s killers. Diana Bullwinkle was 54 when she died on Feb. 1, 2014. She was a single mother and retired U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer, who served for 26 years.

Parole granted

In 2018, Guerrero's parole was denied for three years but was advanced to 2019 under a process known as an Administrative Review.

On Oct. 24, 2019, the Board of Parole Hearings granted parole for Guerrero, based on his “lack of prison discipline, positive programming in prison and perceived insight into the brutal crime,” the DA said.

On March 5, 2020, Gov. Newsom reversed the grant of parole and expressed concern about Guerrero's motivations for committing the heinous murder of his friend. He determined that Guerrero continued to pose an unreasonable danger to public safety if he were to be released.

On Jan. 31, the board granted parole to Guerrero.

"Our Office is hopeful that Gov. Newsom will reverse the decision, as he had in the past," DA Jason Anderson stated earlier this year.

On Thursday, DA spokeswoman Jacquelyn Rodriguez took to Twitter to reflect on the court’s decision.

“Although this is not the outcome our Office was hoping for, we are thankful for the advocacy, effort and countless hours of the community, family and friends of Kelly Bullwinkle who fought to keep her murderers separated from society,” Rodriquez said.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Killer of Redlands teen to go free despite objections by county DA