Calif. governor rejects parole for deadly dentist

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has rejected parole for a Southern California dentist who killed three people in the 1980s by administering fatal doses of anesthetic.

A panel of appellate court judges and a state parole board voted earlier this year to release 65-year-old Tony Protopappas. He has served more than 25 years of his 15-to-life sentence for second-degree murder.

But the Daily Pilot reported that Schwarzenegger rejected the bid on Dec. 15.

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In 1983 and 1984, Protopappas of Costa Mesa gave the fatal doses of a general anesthetic to 23-year-old Kim Andreassen; 31-year-old Cathryn Jones; and 13-year-old Patricia Craven in his Costa Mesa office.

Protopappas was using narcotics heavily at the time and did not have a license to administer the anesthetic, The Los Angeles Times reported.

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Schwarzenegger's decision came as no surprise to Protopappas' lawyer, Rich Pfeiffer.

"The only thing that has changed since the court's last opinion is Tony got a much more favorable psychological evaluation and has continued to take positive steps in his journey through rehabilitation," Pfeiffer wrote in an e-mail, The Los Angeles Times reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.