▁his ▁brother - in - law ▁Ron ald ▁Mas ke , ▁who ▁were ▁both ▁armed ▁with ▁guns . ▁During ▁trial , ▁Par s ons ▁character ized ▁himself ▁as ▁an ▁or phan ▁who ▁stayed ▁out ▁of ▁trouble ▁and ▁test ified ▁against ▁Wood . ▁The ▁court ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁access ▁to ▁Par s ons ' ▁ju ven ile ▁record , ▁and ▁was ▁una ware ▁of ▁his ▁parents ▁on ▁the ▁East ▁Coast . ▁Par s ons ▁later ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁provided ▁false ▁testim ony ▁against ▁Wood ▁in ▁a ▁ple a ▁b arg ain ▁for ▁a ▁l ighter ▁sentence . ▁Wood ▁was ▁conv icted ▁and ▁spent ▁ 1 3 ▁years ▁in ▁prison . ▁No ▁visitors ▁came ▁to ▁see ▁Par s ons ▁during ▁his ▁five ▁years ▁at ▁Nev ada ▁State ▁Pr ison . ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁Par s ons ▁was ▁par o led ▁to ▁a ▁half way ▁house ▁in ▁Ren o . ▁He ▁walked ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁facility ▁before ▁his ▁release ▁date ▁and ▁fled ▁on ▁a ▁st olen ▁motor cycle . ▁ ▁Death ▁of ▁Richard ▁Ernest ▁ ▁On ▁August ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁Par s ons ▁was ▁h itch h ik ing ▁along ▁Inter state ▁ 1 5 ▁near ▁Bar st ow , ▁California . ▁He ▁was ▁picked ▁up ▁by ▁ 3 0 - year - old ▁Richard ▁Lyn n ▁Ernest , ▁a ▁concrete ▁labor er ▁from ▁L oma ▁L inda , ▁California ▁on ▁his ▁way ▁to ▁a ▁construction ▁job ▁in ▁Den ver , ▁Colorado . ▁Ernest