Paul B. Carpenter

Paul Bruce Carpenter (February 24, 1928 – January 24, 2002) was an American psychologist and politician.

Paul Carpenter
Member of the California Board of Equalization
In office 1987–1990
Member of the California State Senate
In office December 6, 1976 – January 5, 1987
Preceded by	George Deukmejian (37th) William Campbell (33rd)
Succeeded by	Marian Bergeson (37th) Cecil Green
Constituency	37th district (1976–1984) 33rd district (1984–1987)
Member of the California State Assembly from the 71st district
In office December 2, 1974 – November 30, 1976
Preceded by	Robert Badham
Succeeded by	Chester B. Wray
Personal details
Born	Paul Bruce Carpenter February 24, 1928 Sioux City, Iowa, U.S.
Died	January 24, 2002 (aged 73) San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Children	1 [a daughter] (missing, presumed murdered)
Alma mater	Florida State University (PhD)
Military service
Branch/service	United States Navy

Early life

Born in Sioux City, Iowa, Carpenter attended the University of Iowa and received a doctorate degree in experimental psychology from Florida State University. He moved to Orange County, California in 1960 and worked as a psychologist.^[1]

Political career

He was involved with the Democratic Party. From 1974 to 1976, Carpenter served in the California State Assembly. He then served in the California State Senate from 1976 to 1986. In 1982, Carpenter ran for the Democratic Party nomination for U.S. Senate but lost to then-governor Jerry Brown. Carpenter also served on the California Board of Equalization from 1987 to 1990. Despite being convicted of corruption charges in 1990, he won re-election to the board but was barred from serving because of the conviction.^[2]

Carpenter chaired his Senate caucus election fund-raising work from 1980 to 1985, which led to accusations of corruption. In 1990, Carpenter was convicted of racketeering, conspiracy and extortion as part of the BRISPEC sting operation. He fled to Costa Rica before sentencing, claiming it was for prostate cancer treatment and was subsequently extradited to the United States. He served a prison term from 1995 until 1999.^[3][4][5]

Later life

Carpenter's only child, Jana Carpenter-Koklich (born January 1, 1960), went missing from her home in Lakewood, California in August 2001 and has never been found.^[6] Her husband Bruce Koklich was convicted of her murder in 2004, incarcerated for 15 years to life;^[7][8] in 2023, he was denied parole for the fifth time, and will not be eligible again until 2028.^[9]

For many years, Carpenter lived in Cypress, California. Carpenter died of cancer in 2002 at his home in San Antonio, Texas, where he had been living since his release from prison in 1999.^[10][11]