Career criminal behind creation of Three Strikes is back in court. Did he beat girlfriend?

The man whose role in a notorious Fresno murder 25 years ago led to California’s Three Strikes law was back in court Wednesday and might finally be facing life in prison.

Douglas Walker avoided a murder conviction in the June 1992 death of 18-year-old Kimber Reynolds by pleading to robbery charges.

After spending most of his life in and out of prison, Walker was back in a Fresno courtroom on Wednesday, accused of beating his girlfriend.

He has waived his right to a jury and has asked Superior Court Judge W. Kent Hamlin to determine his fate.

The killing of Reynolds prompted her father, Mike Reynolds, to create the “Three Strikes and You’re Out” law which mandates tougher sentences for repeat offenders in California.

Mike Reynolds said this week that he and his wife, Sharon, think of their daughter every day.

“He robbed us of our daughter, but we have managed to get through each day,” Mike Reynolds said. “In our mind, Kimber will always be 18 years old and always in our hearts.”

He was hesitant to comment on Walker’s case, but said he wished the Three Strikes law had remained intact. Instead, Proposition 47 and Proposition 57 have diminished the law, he said.

Proposition 47 reduces some serious felonies to misdemeanors; Proposition 57 gives the state parole board the power to consider early release of prisoners not designated as “violent” under the California penal code.

But there is still enough left of Three Strikes to put Walker behind bars for the rest of his life, Reynolds said.

Prosecutor Kelly Smith has charged Walker, 52, with beating his girlfriend, Karrie Alvarado, making criminal threats against her, and attempting to dissuade her from testifying against him. Walker was arrested on charges in the case in February 2014; Alvarado died in March 2015, likely from a life of drugs and alcohol, authorities said. She was 56.

Because of Walker’s link to the killing of Reynolds, he waived his right to a jury. “We didn’t think he could get a fair trial in front of a jury because he has become the poster child for Three Strikes,” Fresno defense lawyer Eric Green, who represents Walker, said Wednesday.

Court records say Walker is a career criminal whose bad deeds began at age 13, when he was arrested for inhaling fumes and selling heroin. Before age 18, he had been arrested three times for being drunk in public. That was followed by arrests for petty theft and drugs, the court documents show.

But Green said it’s unfair to call Walker a poster child for Three Strikes since he has no convictions dealing with violence.

Green has represented Walker since the killing of Reynolds outside a restaurant in Fresno’s Tower District. The gunman, Joe Davis, was later killed by police. Walker later surrendered.

Green said Walker was initially charged with murder, but once prosecutors reviewed the case they offered the plea deal.

He said Walker and Davis were high on heroin when they tried to steal Reynolds’ purse. “He didn’t know Davis was armed and going to shoot her,” Green said. “In fact, Davis was so out of it he nearly shot Doug.”

Walker received his first two strikes from the Reynolds case – robbery and attempted robbery. He received a nine-year prison sentence, but was paroled after serving 4 1/2 years. Within a few weeks of his release, he violated parole and was arrested and sent back to prison. Since then he has been in and out of prison.

He could have received his third strike – and a 25 years to life prison term – after being convicted of stealing a tool chest in 2003. He avoided the third strike because a judge gave him the benefit of the doubt and a lesser punishment of 12 years and four months, court records show.

Under the prison realignment law that sends lower-level offenders to county jails instead of state prisons, Walker was placed on low-level supervision in Fresno in November 2013 because his last crime was considered nonviolent, authorities said. Three months later, police arrested him for hitting his Alvarado.

Because Alvarado has died, the prosecution plans to call neighbors who saw or heard Walker fighting with Alvarado. Smith also plans to play Alvarado’s 911 call. But it is four jailhouse conversations with Alvarado in March 2014 that could give Walker his third strike.

The prosecutor contends Walker clearly urges Alvarado “not to talk to the DA,” or don’t accept a subpoena from the prosecution to testify. In one conversation, Walker tells Alvarado to recant what she told police. Then once the trial starts, Walker tells Alvarado, she has to disappear. “I need you to be gone,” he says. This way, the prosecutor can only use her recanted testimony and the charges will be dismissed, Walker says.

Green contends the evidence is sketchy because the jail telephone calls show Walker and Alvarado mostly talking about loving each other, sex, family and their lack of money. “The calls will show that they truly cared for each other,” Green said.

This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Career criminal behind creation of Three Strikes is back in court. Did he beat girlfriend?."