Woman continues fight to keep her violent sex abuser behind bars with Mary Bella's Law
A California woman is continuing her fight to keep her uncle, who violently sexually abused her and several other woman, behind bars by rallying in front of state leaders.
"By now you've heard my story," Mary said while speaking in front of the California Senate last week. "My uncle raped four other women before raping and committing heinous acts on me as a foster child for nearly a year."
Her powerful testimony re-traumatizes her every time she has to recount the abuse she endures, but Mary says that she's sharing her story yet again to help lawmakers put an end to a loophole in a state law that allows violent sex offenders out based on their age and amount of time served.
Cody Woodsen Klemp, now 70, was convicted of violently raping her in Moreno Valley when she was a teenager, as well as four other women. He was sentenced to 170 years in prison, but in 2024 the Board of Parole agreed to release him under the Elderly Parole Program, which allows parole eligibility for violent sex offenders once they're over 50 and have served at least 20 years of their sentence.
That's why Mary and other women are rallying behind SB 286, otherwise known as Mary Bella's Law, which aims to close that loophole for good.
"it's bizarre," Mary said. "It's an upside down world. We're living in upside down world."
Gov. Newsom denied Klemp's parole last year, keeping him behind bars for at least one year. Mary says he can request another parole hearing soon.
"It's a joke," Mary said.
Mary Bella's Law is partially named for Mary and another woman named Bella. Her convicted abuser and kidnapper, Charles William Mix, was sentenced to 350 years but also became eligible for parole last year — 20 years after his sentencing.
"I think collectively as a community, we have to come together and say we've had enough," said Bella's sister Clara. She's working with Mary and her friend Maggie at a nonprofit organization called Fight For Victims.
Their goal is to expose injustice, speak for victims and bring about solutions to change the world for the better.
They were able to get Mary Bella's Law unanimously passed by the Senate Public Safety Committee last week, but they believe the fight is far from over.
The law will now move on to Senate Appropriations before heading to the Senate Floor.
