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A registered sex offender who was paroled in 2022 after receiving three life terms plus 51 years for violent crimes in Chico was arrested Thursday in Sacramento County on suspicion of violating his parole, authorities said. The arrest came hours after Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper publicly criticized the state Board of Parole Hearings for approving the man’s release.
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Lloyd Clinton Edwards Jr., 47, was convicted following a series of crimes in Chico in 2000 that included the rape of a woman at gunpoint and the attempted sexual assault of another woman, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. He was sentenced to three life terms plus 51 years in prison.
A Butte County jury convicted Edwards of abducting and robbing two women at gunpoint after they offered him a ride in Chico in August 2000 and raping one of the women after forcing her to drive to a remote area, according to reporting at the time by the Chico Enterprise-Record. Edwards was also convicted of attempting to rape another woman with a razor blade weeks later at her Chico apartment, the newspaper reported.
A judge sentenced Edwards, then 23, to three consecutive life terms for kidnapping for the purposes of rape and robbery, plus 51 years on related charges. At the time of his sentencing, the Enterprise-Record reported that Edwards would be 95 before becoming eligible for parole.
Butte County Superior Court Judge William Lamb, who presided over Edwards’ trial, said three of the victims were “particularly vulnerable … being trapped (in their vehicle or home) by an armed assailant at night,” according to a 2002 story by the Enterprise-Record. Lamb said the crimes showed “a high degree of callousness” and that Edwards posed a “serious danger” that justified imprisoning him for as long as possible.
Edwards was granted parole in 2022 and more recently began living in Sacramento County, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The agency said it recently learned that Edwards was living in the county and that he had no documented parole violations at the time.
On Thursday evening, detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Task Force conducted a compliance check at Edwards’ registered address in Gold River, authorities said.
Detectives searched the residence and reported finding multiple substances that violated Edwards’ parole conditions. They also searched his vehicle and found what the Sheriff’s Office described as a device capable of detecting GPS trackers and other monitoring equipment in the trunk. Investigators said they believed Edwards had the device to evade law enforcement surveillance.
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Edwards was arrested on suspicion of violating his parole and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail.
Hours before the arrest, Cooper posted a video criticizing Edwards’ release and questioning how he had been paroled after receiving three life sentences. Cooper told Fox40 that changes to state parole laws are up to the state Legislature, which might not act until a high-profile case forces its hands.
“There are some crimes that are so heinous, so vicious, such as rape, where you shouldn’t be eligible for early parole,” Cooper said in the video posted to the Sheriff’s Office social media pages.
After Edwards’ arrest, Cooper again called on the Board of Parole Hearings to explain its decision.
“The parole board needs to explain the basis for his release,” Cooper said in a video posted to social media after the arrest. “We all deserve an answer.”
Edwards remains in Sacramento County Main Jail custody and was ineligible for bail.
This story was originally published September 25, 2026 at 11:36 AM with the headline “Sacramento sheriff blasts parole of man given 3 life terms. Hours later, he’s arrested.”
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