Parole denied for Modesto man convicted in toddler’s death

A 57-year-old Modesto man convicted of killing a 3-year-old girl has been denied parole for the ninth time.

The Board of Parole Hearings at a Jan. 14 hearing in Stockton determined Herman Lee Groves was unsuitable to be released from prison, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office announced earlier this week. Groves will be eligible for parole again in seven years.

Deputy District Attorney Randy Fischer attended last month’s hearing and argued for the inmate’s continued confinement, saying he is a moderate to high risk to commit violence if released. The prosecutor also argued that the heinous facts of his crime and Grove’s lack of rehabilitation while incarcerated does not warrant a release from prison.

Groves refused to leave his prison cell to participate in the parole hearing and was represented by an attorney. He was convicted of second-degree murder in 1984 for the death Tina Marie Cavender.

While living with the toddler’s mother, Groves abused the child and killed her by punching her in the stomach hard enough to cause her death, prosecutors said.

This story was originally published February 24, 2016 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Parole denied for Modesto man convicted in toddler’s death."