Santa Rosa women denied parole in 1996 killing, 2009 attempted murder

Two Santa Rosa women serving life sentences were denied parole Thursday, District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced.

The Board of Parole Hearings denied the parole for Nicole Bradley, 36, and Patricia Kirk, 51, both currently incarcerated at the California Institute for Women. Bradley will have another parole hearing in five years, and Kirk in three years.

Bradley was convicted of the 1996 killing of Santa Rosa resident James Strickler Jr., who had given her and two teenage friends a ride. The three guided Strickler to a darkened west Santa Rosa road where Bradley, who had been carrying a sawed-off shotgun under a poncho, shot him at point-blank range in the back of the head.

Kirk pleaded guilty to attempted murder with premeditation stemming from an incident in 2009. After an argument with her ex-boyfriend, she attempted to cut his throat with a knife. He was able to successfully wrestle the knife from her, but he suffered cuts to his hand and forearm and had a 10-inch laceration on his throat.

Ravitch said in a statement: “Keeping violent individuals in custody until they have shown they can be reintegrated successfully back into society is of utmost concern to the safety and protection of the public. My office will continue to champion the rights of the victims of these violent crimes and to doing all we can to ensure public safety.”