Dustin Wallace Denied Parole In 2010 Murder Of 5-Year-Old Sahara Dwight

Dustin Wallace, the man convicted in the 2010 rape and murder of 5-year-old Sahara Dwight in Roseburg, has been denied parole following a lengthy hearing at Oregon State Prison.

The hearing was held Wednesday, June 3, in Salem. Wallace, now 32, was seeking release consideration after serving about 15 years in prison for crimes committed when he was 16 years old.

Sources said the parole board denied Wallace’s request after reviewing whether he had shown the maturity, rehabilitation, and reduced risk needed to safely re-enter the community.

During the hearing, Wallace reportedly told the board he did not believe he was ready to leave prison.

Wallace was convicted in 2012 after Sahara Dwight was sexually assaulted and killed inside a Roseburg home in 2010. She was 5 years old. The case remains one of the most painful and widely remembered criminal cases in Douglas County.

At the time of sentencing, a Douglas County judge ordered Wallace to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole. That sentence was later affected by changes in Oregon law involving people who were under 18 at the time of their crimes.

Oregon Senate Bill 1008, passed in 2019, changed how the state handles juvenile sentencing. Among other changes, the law eliminated life-without-parole sentences for juveniles and created review opportunities for people serving long sentences for crimes committed before they turned 18.

That change did not mean Wallace would be automatically released. It meant he became eligible for review.

Oregon’s Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision says its hearings focus on rehabilitation and a person’s current risk to reoffend. In Wallace’s case, the board determined he had not met the standard for release.

During the hearing, Wallace was questioned about earlier statements he made about the crime, including claims that someone else may have been responsible or that he may have been sleepwalking. Sources said Wallace acknowledged those claims were false.

He also acknowledged during the hearing that he committed the crimes.

Sahara’s father, Tyler Dwight, has spoken publicly against Wallace’s possible release, saying the hearing reopened deep pain for his family and raised concerns about community safety.

For now, Wallace will remain in prison.