Parole was denied for a schizophrenic Turlock man who gunned down a young mother 17 years ago outside her apartment building.

Matthew Lewis Black, 42, was previously sentenced to 19 years to life for the murder of Denise Swanner, 20, on Oct. 4, 2006.

Black had his first parole hearing on Aug. 29, and it was denied by the State Board of Parole based on his “attitude toward his crime, his denial of a major mental disorder, his propensity for violence, and the lack of any substantive programming since incarcerated,” according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.

Hours before the fatal shooting Black was picked up by Turlock police officers after he called them to report that he was “being followed by two men in a black vehicle” on Lander Avenue.

Black was found to be under the influence and was taken back to his residence at an apartment complex on Pioneer Avenue, according to the police report.

At the apartment complex Black told others that “people were hiding in bushes” and that he was scared “the people were out to get him,” according to the district attorney’s office. Swanner tried to allay some of Black’s fears by telling him that no one would hurt him and showed him a gun she had in her possession.

It’s unclear how Black got his hands on the gun, but moments later he was seen quickly leaving the apartment with Swanner following behind him. He turned and fired twice, striking Swanner.

The gunshots brought out several of the apartment complex residents. Two of them — one man armed with a bat and another with a handgun — tried to keep Black in the area. The police report described a brief standoff between Black and the other armed man, before Black ran off as the sounds of sirens grew closer. He was found by police officers hiding in a bush and still in possession of the handgun.

Swanner was en route to Emanuel Medical Center when she died from the gunshot wounds she had sustained. She was a mother of two, as well as a daughter and sister.

On Jan. 27, 2010, Black entered a plea of no contest to murder in the second degree and admitted to using a gun during the crime that caused the victim’s death. On Feb. 10, 2010, Judge Thomas D. Zeff sentenced Black to a total of 19-years to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

At the hearing before the parole board, Black initially denied killing Swanner, instead claiming that another unnamed individual had shot her. Then under further questioning by the parole board, Black said he did shoot Swanner but that it was done in self-defense.

“Black also denied having any mental health issues or needing any treatment or medication, despite his schizophrenia diagnosis and the connection of his mental health disorder to the murder,” said district attorney’s office spokesman Chief Deputy District Attorney Wendell Emerson, in a news release.

Deputy District Attorney Margot L. Roen, who appeared at the hearing and argued for Black’s continued confinement, told the parole board that Black had multiple incidents of violent behavior during his incarceration. At the time of the hearing, Black had already received twelve rule violations while in prison, nine of which involved violence, with the most recent occurring in 2021 for fighting with his cellmate.

Several of Swanner’s family members spoke during the parole hearing and requested his parole be denied.

After deliberations, the board denied parole for five years. In rendering its decision, the board found that several factors weighed against Black’s release, including his criminal and parole history. Black was on parole for committing another crime when he killed Swanner. The board also cited his “lack of self-control and change, as evidenced by his continued use of violence to problem solve, his disrespect of authorities and the law, and his callous and criminal attitude.”

“Overall, the board found that Black had significant work to do in order to be considered for parole at his next hearing and recommended that he refrain from committing any new rule violations, that he participates in anger management, and that he strengthens his parole plans, including formulating a mental health management plan,” Emerson said.

This was Black’s first parole hearing. He will be eligible for another hearing in 2028, although he may petition the Board of Parole Hearings to advance that date if he can demonstrate a change in circumstances.