Killer apologizes for murder of 100-year-old

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The man who killed 100-year-old Joe Fischer learned he'll spend the rest of his life in prison.

David Anthony Romero was on parole and recently released from the Fresno County Jail for overcrowding when he attacked the 100-year-old Sanger veteran last August. Friday, he had an apology.

A judge sentenced Romero to life in prison, with his first parole hearing not coming for 29 years -- when he's 76 years old.

Romero entered a surprise plea of "no contest" to the murder last month to keep his mother from having to testify against him. He had confessed to his mother that he'd beaten up Fischer during a robbery attempt a couple days before Fischer's death.

Romero's mother was in tears as she left the courtroom last month and didn't come back to see her son sentenced on Friday. But Romero apologized to her and to Fischer's family. "I want to apologize to the victim's family and to my family."

Romero's attorney says he is extremely remorseful. She says he battled alcoholism for much of his life and that he suffered frequent blackouts.

Action News has talked to Joe Fischer's younger sister several times since his death last year and she came to several of Romero's court appearances. But just in the last week, Alyce Holland passed away from a pair of strokes, so she never got to see her brother's killer get put away.

Get more Local »

sanger, fresno county, fresno, fresno downtown, murder, court, local, corin hoggard

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•