84-year-old Modestan denied parole in 1985 murder of husband

For the 10th time, a Modesto woman convicted in February 1986 of bludgeoning to death her husband has been denied parole.

Bonnie Meyers, who is 84 and has used a wheelchair for at least the better part of the past decade, was convicted in the 1985 murder of her 70-year-old husband, Don. Bonnie Meyers repeatedly bludgeoned her husband in the head with a blunt object as he sat in a recliner chair in the couple’s Modesto home, prosecutors said.

The motive for the crime appeared to be financial, prosecutors said. Meyers told an ex-husband she hoped to make “quick money” by marrying Don Meyers. They had been married seven months when Meyers killed him. She had changed his will to benefit her.

Meyers was found unsuitable for parole Tuesday at a hearing of the state Board of Parole Hearings at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla. Stanislaus County Deputy District Attorney Jeff Laugero argued against parole based on the inmate’s lack of insight into the crime, lack of credibility and lack of remorse. The commissioners agreed and denied parole for three additional years, District Attorney Birgit Fladager reported Wednesday.

On April 29, 1985, Don Meyers was bludgeoned to death in the couple’s Modesto home. His body was moved from the home; it was discovered later in the back of his vehicle, parked at Vintage Faire Mall.

Meyers was convicted Feb. 26, 1986, of second-degree murder and is serving a sentence of 16 years to life in prison. The board, in denying parole again, stated, “We are terrified there will be another Don if we let you out.”

This story was originally published June 3, 2015 at 1:00 PM with the headline "84-year-old Modestan denied parole in 1985 murder of husband."