OROVILLE — When Thomas Trotter went missing on the Fourth of July weekend in 1995, his family had to search Trotter’s home in Oroville themselves to piece together what happened.
Trotter had previously been helping the wife of Dennis Oates escape her husband in the midst of then-alleged domestic violence. Oates disappeared around the same time and was eventually found out of state when he was brought back to Butte County to face charges and eventually arrested for killing Trotter.
Oates was convicted and sentenced for the murder of Trotter — but 27 years later, he may very well be released under California’s new mercy law for prisoners.
“I’m angry. I’m sad,” said Trotter’s daughter Brandi Davis. “I just have a lot of emotions going through me right now. I really hope this doesn’t get granted (today), but our odds are very slim. I’m trying to remain positive, but I’m sad for grandmother. I’m sad for our whole family.”
To this day, Trotter’s body remains missing.
Pam Trotter-Dore, Trotter’s sister, said Oates spent years denying that he was involved with her brother’s disappearance even after the conviction. In 2022, Oates was up for parole. Trotter-Dore had sent him letters over the years pleading with him to reveal Trotter’s location.
“When it was coming up on his parole hearing, I sent another letter telling him I would consider standing up for him if he would tell us where Tom was,” Trotter-Dore said. “Suddenly, he wrote a letter back and sent a map to where Tom’s body was.”
The map indicates a point up Ponderosa Way somewhere between Forbestown and Lake Oroville. Search and Rescue spanned the area but wound up unsuccessful in finding Trotter’s remains. Months later, Oates was denied parole.
Oates was recently diagnosed with cancer and placed in hospice. According to changes in the compassionate release procedure portion of California Assembly Bill 960 that began in 2023, terminally ill inmates’ sentences can be recalled.
Trotter’s family has vehemently spoken out against Oates’s potential release as well as the state law.
“It’s wrong,” Davis said. “It’s absolutely wrong. He has not revealed the location where he disposed of my dad, and we’re supposed to allow him to be free and have his final moments with his family. We didn’t get that opportunity. It just isn’t OK.”
Tom Trotter’s mother, Nancy Trotter, said she doesn’t believe time in prison has changed Oates.
“I’m not a fond thinker of this passionate release,” Nancy Trotter said. “The judge gave him his penalty, and he should serve it — sick or not sick.
“He had no compassion for our family. Tom had an 11-year-old daughter then, and (Oates) knew Tom was a single father. All these years and he never would tell what he did with Tom’s remains. Tom should be home with his family, not out on the mountain somewhere.”
Jeff Trotter, Tom Trotter’s brother, said he was angry about the potential release, adding that their father had passed away never knowing his deceased son’s location. He remembered during the trial how the family had buttons made that read “Where’s Tom” that they wore each day.
“Tom needs his justice, and he’s not going to get it,” Jeff Trotter said. “Here we are years later and he’s not going to get it. That hurts.”
Remembering his brother, Jeff Trotter said he worked hard to help others.
“Tom was a good guy,” Jeff Trotter said. “He helped people out. That’s what he did. He was helping Dennis’ wife when he was beating her.
“Tom did all the right things. I just wish we could bring Tom home.”
AB960
Oates could be freed this afternoon under a relatively new state law.
Assembly Bill 960 went into effect Jan. 1, 2023 and created standards for convicts to be released — specifically related to terminal illness.
According to a document released by the California Office of the State Public Defender, in order to qualify, the inmate must be “suffering from a serious and advanced illness with an end-of-life trajectory” or “permanently medically incapacitated with a medical condition or functional impairment that renders you permanently unable to complete basic activities or daily living.”
An example used in the document was end-state dementia. It is also noted that the condition had to be not present at the time of the sentencing. Inmates with a death sentence or life without parole don’t qualify for release.
In Oates’s case, he was diagnosed with cancer.
For an early release to be considered, a doctor must make a referral after reaching a prognosis with the patient. From there, the chief medical executive makes a determination that either agrees or disagrees with the physician. If both are in agreement, the referral goes to a warden, who then has two days to notify the inmate and their family. During the process, the inmate could be provided with an attorney if deemed indigent.
“There must be a hearing in front of a judge in your county of conviction within 10 days of the (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s) recommendation for compassionate release,” the notice by the State Public Defender reads. “This hearing will be conducted by the same judge that handled the original sentence unless that judge is unavailable.”
Tom Trotter’s family plans to be part of the hearing, which is scheduled for between 1:30 and 2 p.m., though they have expressed that they don’t feel the odds are in their favor. Trotter-Dore said she just wanted to get information out to the public on Oates’ likely release.
“Oroville should know that (Oates) is coming back,” Trotter-Dore said. “He is an evil person, and they should just be reminded of that.”
