Former Sacramento teacher released on parole after murdering his wife

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Nearly three decades have passed since a Sacramento mother was murdered in South Land Park by her husband, former McClatchy High School teacher Robert Castorena.

In October 1996, his two children spent two weeks huddled together at home alone before the police found out what had happened.

Now Castorena's son has learned that his father will soon be released on parole from Folsom State Prison.

“It's ridiculous,” said Castorena Jr. He asked ABC10 not to use his name or show his face.

In 1996, ABC10 reported that Robert Castorena threatened to kill his children if they entered the back bedroom after he stabbed and killed his wife, Janice.

“She was just great, but my father was not. He was the exact opposite. He was a coward,” said the young Castorena.

During the entire parole process, Castorena said, he never saw any documents or transcripts, nor did he ever contact the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which would have warned him of his father's impending release.

“This makes us really angry. It feels like the system has failed us,” Castorena said.

According to court documents, Robert Castorena pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder by reason of insanity in 1999 and was subsequently sentenced to life in a state hospital.

After his mental health was restored in 2014, he was retried in 2016 and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

He was granted parole in March 2024.

“He will be free, and that just seems wrong to me on so many levels,” said the young Castorena.

On the afternoon of August 27, ABC10 reached out to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to request documentation explaining the reasons for Castorena's parole, but the request did not receive an immediate response.

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