A California cop convicted of his wife’s murder is rejecting his first shot at parole, and his defense is now pointing to an infamous serial killer

Paul Kovacich, a K-9 commander serving a life sentence for his wife’s 1982 murder, is turning down his first chance at parole. The 76-year-old is instead using the hearing to demand a full reversal of his 2009 conviction, citing newly found FBI misconduct and pointing to the Golden State Killer as a possible suspect.

Rather than seeking early release, Kovacich wants his conviction thrown out entirely. “I would love to have the courts release me, not parole,” Kovacich, who is currently an inmate at California Institution for Men, said. “I have something to prove, that I’m innocent.”

A key part of his case involves his German shepherd, Fuzz. According to NBC News, prosecutors argued that Kovacich stomped the dog to death weeks before his wife disappeared, using it to show he had a violent side. Kovacich has always denied harming the dog.

FBI emails allegedly hidden from the defense suggest serious misconduct in the original trial

His legal team says they found previously unseen emails between a forensic anthropologist and FBI agent Christopher Hopkins, sent from Hopkins’s personal Hotmail account. The emails allegedly describe Kovacich as “our bad guy” and discuss the “need to demonstrate to the jury that he has a violent side” before testing Fuzz’s remains. Because a private account was used, these messages were never handed over to the defense as required by law.

The actual bone analysis found no signs of stomping and could not determine the cause of death. The remains reportedly contained an undigested pork rib bone, which the defense believes killed the dog. California has seen several controversial cases where digital evidence later contradicted the original narrative.

Defense attorney Kristen Reid wrote to state prosecutors saying, “I cannot imagine a more clearly documented or egregious Brady violation.” She claimed Agent Hopkins suppressed evidence and hid proof of innocence, potentially allowing “the real killer escape justice.” Hopkins, now retired, told the AP there was “no exculpatory information in those emails.”

The original prosecutor, David Tellman, called the private emails “concerning” and said they could prompt an investigation into “the integrity of this conviction.” He maintained, however, that the emails would not have changed the outcome of the four-month trial, which featured 77 witnesses. Prosecutors are also opposing parole because Kovacich has not completed required domestic violence and anger management classes in prison.

Janet Kovacich was last seen in 1982 after an argument with her husband, telling him she planned to leave with their two children. In 1995, hikers found a partial skull in a dry lake bed, and DNA testing in 2007 confirmed it was Janet’s. The skull had a hole behind the right ear, which authorities attributed to a bullet. California has also seen public unrest linked to unpopular local government decisions draw national attention in recent months.

Kovacich’s defense team is now asking authorities to look into whether Janet was actually a victim of Joseph DeAngelo, the Golden State Killer. DeAngelo had patrolled the area near the Kovacich home before being fired from the Auburn Police Department and had previously crossed paths with Kovacich.

A judge sentenced Kovacich to 27 years to life in 2009, calling the killing “cold, calculated and selfish.” Kovacich said, “It’s hard being in here for something I didn’t do. But if we can prove all the misconduct in this case, this will have all been worth it. It’s going to open a can of worms.”