NEW LETTER: Harder Sends Letter Opposing Parole for Violent, Tracy Criminal Anthony Waiters

WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Josh Harder sent a letter to the California Board of Parole Hearings urging, in the strongest possible language, the Board to deny early parole to Anthony Waiters. In 2010, Waiters was convicted of violently torturing an imprisoned teenager at a Tracy home, including chaining the victim to a fireplace, beating him with a baseball bat, branding him, and lighting him on fire. Waiters was found guilty of nine felony counts, including torture and child abuse. The Board is now considering releasing Waiters on parole as early as the end of August.

“As a father raising my daughter right here in Tracy, I’m outraged and appalled that the state would consider releasing this violent person back into our community,” said Rep. Harder. “Every parent deserves to know their kids are safe playing in their yards or biking to school, and we would all be made less safe if the Board decides to grant parole to Anthony Waiters. I stand with Tracy law enforcement, with the victim, and with every concerned parent in our community by sharing the strongest possible opposition to granting Anthony Waiters parole.”

Read the letter below and online here.

Dear Commissioners,

As a representative of our community and a proud Tracy dad, I write today in strong opposition to the grant of parole given to inmate Anthony Waiters on March 30, 2022, by the Board of Parole Hearings.

It cannot be overstated that Anthony Waiters is a security threat to all children in our community. Releasing Waiters early on a grant of parole is a slap in the face to every member of our community who is looking to us to keep them safe and from harm’s way. Releasing Waiters on early parole would signal to all perpetrators of crimes against children that they can get off with a simple slap on the wrist.

Waiters is in prison because he tortured sixteen-year-old foster child, Kyle, chained him near a fireplace, and nearly beat the child to death with a bat. But beating Kyle was not enough. Waiters made it a point to sadistically torture Kyle by heating his weapon, a bat, causing irreparable physical and mental damage to the victim. His malice didn’t end there. He branded Kyle like an animal and lit the child on fire after pouring lighter fluid all over his body.

The offenses committed by Waiters are truly egregious. No sane human would ever do this to a child. After one year of undergoing this sadistic torture, the victim was able to escape - that is the only reason Waiters stopped inflicting pain to that child.

During his parole hearing, Waiters described the motivation to his actions as a result of, “alcohol, unresolved grief, companions that didn't have my best interest at heart... immature, angry, impulsive, and grief stricken [ ...] I tried to help the situation, but I made hurt. I don't want to say savior complex ... It just escalated and I grew to be part of the problem." This non-sequitur response fails to fundamentally grasp the weight of his actions and crimes. His reference to a savior complex is even more worrisome. We cannot allow a man to re-enter society, claiming to be a savior while inflicting harm to our loved ones. Early parole is simply not acceptable for Anthony Waiters.

To keep our children and families safe, I strongly urge the Board to deny Anthony Waiters early parole. Thank you for your attention to this serious matter.  

Sincerely,

Josh Harder

Member of Congress