Bird Rock Bandit who fatally sucker punched surfer denied parole

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The Bird Rock Bandit who fatally sucker punched a pro surfer in 2007 has been denied parole.

On May 23, 2007, Seth Cravens and the rest of the bandits attacked Emery Kauanui, a 24-year-old from Windansea, outside the surfer's mom's home after an argument at a local bar. Cravens punched Kauanui in the head, knocking him out, and Cravens' friends kicked him while he was on the ground.

Five days later, Kauanui died at the hospital; the San Diego County Medical Examiner said the cause of death was blunt force trauma.

Cravens was later convicted of second-degree murder in Feb. 2009, and a judge sentenced him to 20 years to life.

Cravens would appeal the verdict, and in 2010, an appellate court did overturn his murder conviction. That court lowered the charge to voluntary manslaughter, but in 2012, the California Supreme Court stepped in and rejected the appellate court's decision.

The California Supreme Court found at the time that Cravens' mental state and conduct indicated there was malice, so the second-degree murder conviction was reinstated.

Almost 18 years since the murder, Cravens was eligible for parole for the first time. Originally, the hearing was supposed to take place in January; however, it was postponed until Friday due to the LA wildfires.

During the hearing, the prosecution claimed Cravens' behavior behind bars shows he'd still be a danger to the community if released. They referenced several other episodes involving him in the few years prior to the murder, in which he assaulted men and women.

Cravens also acknowledged during the hearing that he has abused drugs and alcohol in prison and has anger issues as well. He admitted that he ran with prison gangs until 2019 and was involved in several violent incidents.

He testified that he was sober since 2022, but relapsed once last year. He was also written up for making threats to an inmate, also in 2024.

Cravens also said in court he has earned enough college credits for a bachelor's degree, attended many psychological programs and believes he can now walk away from violence.

"I am able to walk away now... I'm not going to hurt anyone else," he said. "It's not a part of me anymore."

Through tears, Jenny Grosso, Kauanui's girlfriend of six years, talked about how her life has been a "dance with grief and memories." Grosso also said her nightmare would get worse if Cravens were allowed to leave prison and hurt someone else.

“The tragedy of Emery’s story has already been written. It’s uneditable. But there is a way for it to get worse. And that would be if Seth killed or hurt someone else. Let Emery be the last skull to hit the pavement. Let me be the last grieving partner of someone he kills," said Grosso. “If I could see the future and know with certainty that no other soul would be harmed if Seth was released than that is what I would want. I believe it’s what Emery would want. No one believed in forgiveness and redemption more than him ... Last night Emery’s younger brother Nigel and I prayed for Seth, and for all of us, for the highest good in whatever form that looks like to be realized.”

Cravens' attorney, Laura Sheppard, provided the following statement to ABC 10News before the hearing:

"Mr. Cravens has been incarcerated since 2007 for the tragic consequences of his impulsive violence, and he has taken the opportunity to mature and reflect on his actions and change his ways. He has expressed to me his deep remorse for his actions that night, the unintended consequences of a single punch was that Mr. Kauanui was knocked unconscious and unfortunately died because of the impact of his head on the pavement."

Cravens, 39, is eligible for parole in another hearing in five years, but he can petition for an earlier date if circumstances change.