The Oregon Board of Parole on Wednesday rejected the bid for release by a man who raped and killed a 5-year-old Douglas County girl in 2010.
Dustin Wallace, 32, is serving a life sentence for the 2010 death of Sahara Dwight. Wallace, then 16, was tried as an adult.
When he committed the crime, he was visiting his father, who was living with the girl’s mother. The parole board on Wednesday also questioned Wallace about the attempted sexual assault of a young family friend a couple of years before he killed Sahara.
In handing down the murder sentence, a Circuit Court judge said Wallace posed a public safety risk so significant that he should never be released.
In 2021, then-Gov. Kate Brown commuted Wallace’s sentence among a group of other prisoners convicted of crimes as juveniles, allowing them to seek parole after 15 years.
Any decision for release would be based on the person’s “exemplary progress and considerable evidence of rehabilitation,” as well as public safety considerations and victim input, Brown said. She acted after the Legislature made sweeping changes to how Oregon prosecutes juvenile cases like Wallace’s.
It was the first parole request for Wallace, who appeared before three Parole Board members at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem.
Wallace told them that he had not done much sex offender treatment or anger management counseling while incarcerated and only recently started to reflect on what drove him to rape and kill a child.
At one point during questioning, he denied raping the girl before admitting he had.
Board member Kara Brooks asked Wallace if he considered how it felt for Sahara’s family “to hear you equivocate about whether you raped and murdered their loved one.”
“The same way I feel about myself — furious,” he said.
Member Don Rees cited a psychological evaluation done in preparation for the hearing that concluded Wallace was “far from ready to reenter the community in a safe manner.”
Even Wallace seemed to agree.
When told that the burden to prove he has “demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation” rested with him, Wallace said he didn’t think he had met that standard.
“I don’t think I should be released at this time,” he said.
Emily Le Brecque, executive director of the Oregon Crime Victims Law Center, told the board Wallace lacked insight and described the attack on Sahara as “brutal, violent and prolonged.”
She said the parole process has been “excruciating” for the girl’s family and urged the parole board to delay the next hearing for at least another decade.
“He has put significantly more thought and effort into resolving his sleep issues than he has into obtaining treatment for his sexual offenses,” she said.
Tyler Dwight, Sahara’s father, said Brown’s commutation order plunged his family into despair.
“It’s been 16 years that myself and the family … have dealt with this pain,” he told the board. “We’ve tried everything we can to start a healing process.”
Brooks, Rees and Vice Chair Ronnee Kliewer deliberated after the hearing and delivered a decision by the end of the day. They determined Wallace would have to wait 10 years before seeking parole again.
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