Modesto man convicted of killing hitchhiker denied parole

A former Modesto man who was convicted of killing a hitchhiker and kidnapping and robbing another man in the early 1990s was denied parole, according to a press release from the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office

Clay Arthur Harris was found unsuitable for parole on Wednesday at a State Board of Parole Hearings conducted at San Quentin State Prison.

Deputy District Attorney Brad Nix argued for continued confinement based on the viciousness of the crimes and the defendant’s failure to rehabilitate.

The Board of Parole Hearings agreed and denied parole for five years.

In December 1992, Clay Harris was sentenced to 40 years to life in state prison for his conviction at jury trial of several crimes from two separate incidents.

In June 1992 Harris and his co-defendant Daniel Utter kidnapped and threatened a man who had been attending Graffiti night in Modesto. After duct-taping the victim inside his RV, they drove around Modesto selling off his possessions in order to buy rock cocaine. They left the victim duct-taped in his RV.

Four days later they jumped two transients who were sleeping in a dumpster enclosure in a downtown Modesto alley. The two were hitchhiking from Concord to Nevada.

While Harris held a knife to one of the victim’s throat, Utter hit the other, Ronald Jorgansen, in the head with a piece of concrete then stabbed him in the chest. He died from his injuries.

While Harris held the knife to the other victim, Utter robbed him of $130 and stabbed him in the leg.

Harris and Utter were arrested a few days later.

This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Modesto man convicted of killing hitchhiker denied parole."