June 4, 2026 4:00 a.m. 

On Wednesday, the Oregon Board of Parole denied a bid for the release of Dustin Wallace, convicted in 2012 for the murder and rape of 5-year-old Sahara Dwight at a west Roseburg home in 2010.

Wallace, now age 32, was tried as an adult after the crime took place when he was 16. Wallace was from Oklahoma but was visiting his father, who was in a relationship with the girl’s mother at the time of the crime.

During a nearly six-hour hearing at the Oregon State Prison in Salem, Wallace said he did not believe he should be released yet. Wallace said, “I’m not ready”, and cited a need for further personal growth and treatment for his behavior. Wallace told the board he felt he could safely return to society in between one and three years. Wallace expressed remorse for the crime during a portion of the hearing and stated he didn’t want the victim’s family to endure additional trauma by participating in the hearing.

Wallace’s sentence was commuted by former Governor Kate Brown in 2019, after Senate Bill 1008 was passed. The legislation allows criminals with life sentences to seek parole after 15 years in custody if they were an adolescent when the crime took place.

The hearing was attended by a number of Sahara Dwight’s family members along with a group of public officials from Douglas County government and the Oregon State Legislature.