14 years for two murders ?
Exactly.
But even if he had been in jail for life, I bet he would have killed somebody else (such as a guard or a more vulnerable prisoner).
According to various internet sites (google “Randall Lee Smith”, “Appalachian Trail” ) he “pleaded guilty to lesser charges”, so he probably was never convicted of the murders he did.
Damn.
I remember like it was yesterday the interview Ted Coppel had on Nightline back during the Rodney King riot days. He interviewed a gangbanger that went "straight". He was impressed with the perps intellectual acumen for being a gang leader. This ganger was about 40 some odd years old. When Coppel asked what he went to prison for, he, of course, offered up a laundry list, but finally settled on "murder". When Coppel asked how many people he killed, the perp sat there a moment as if gathering his thoughts and came up with the number "19".
My jaw hit the ground. What the hell is this guy doing still breathing, let alone out on parole. Apparently if you kill the "right" people, nobody cares. He was convicted and received typical sentences of 7-8 years and got out in 3, for "good behavior". If you shoot blacks, Hispanics, or other gang members, you get some sort of break in LA courts. I have to wonder what the sentencing phase sounded like when his rap sheet was brought out. After about 3 manslaughter convictions and a couple of murder convictions, not even counting the assaults with deadly weapons and attempted murder charges, you would think they might get this guy out of circulation.