Woman who conspired to kill identical twin sister set for release after 19 years in prison

District Attorney asks for Gina Han's parole to be refused, saying it failed to address her alleged mental disorder and she still poses a risk to society

Gina Han was sentenced to 26 years to life for plotting the murder of her twin sister Sunny. Han has been granted parole after nearly two decades in prison. (AP)

A woman convicted of conspiring to kill her identical twin sister in the 1990s has been recommended for parole after spending nearly two decades in prison, according to a new report.

In a case that made international headlines, Jeen “Gina” Han — dubbed the “evil twin” by police — was sentenced to 26 years to life in May 1998.

The Southern California woman was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, burglary and false imprisonment, along with two others.

Prosecutors said the trio conspired in a failed plan to murder Sunny Han, who was bound and gagged along with her roommate before police rescued them.

The Korean-born twins were once close but had a history of fighting, authorities said. Their relationship deteriorated after Sunny Han accused her sister of stealing her BMW.

The state Board of Parole recommended the release of Gina, now 43, after a hearing on 31 October, the Orange County Register reported.

Under California law, the decision includes a 120-day review period so Governor Jerry Brown can decide whether to approve or reject the parole recommendation.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office asked Brown to reject the parole recommendation in a letter. It said that Gina Han failed to address her alleged mental disorder and still poses a risk to society.

Deputy District Attorney Nikki Chambers said Gina Han, as an example of her plans for parole, gave the board letters from a man with whom she is corresponding.

Her pen pals from abroad and across the country have offered her money, jobs and lodging, including a man from Britain who gave her money after corresponding for a year, the prosecutor said.

“The fact remains that she is still flexing the manipulation muscles that she used when she recruited two young men to murder her sister, and they appear to be as keen as they were in 1996,” Chambers wrote.

Gina Han maintained she never intended to kill her sister.