A convicted first-degree assassin who killed a comfort retailer proprietor in entrance of her 7-year-old daughter has been granted parole.
The Massachusetts Parole Board is releasing Rolando Rodriguez who was 18 when he stabbed 32-year-old Kenia Melo to loss of life whereas making an attempt to rob her Chelsea comfort retailer in 1997.
Rodriguez a 12 months later was convicted in Suffolk Superior Court docket of first-degree homicide, and he was sentenced to life in jail with out the opportunity of parole.
However he turned eligible for parole after final 12 months’s Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court docket’s resolution — when the SJC dominated it’s unconstitutional to condemn rising adults (18 to twenty years previous) to life in jail with out parole.
Then earlier this 12 months, Rodriguez appeared earlier than the state’s parole board for an preliminary listening to, and now the board is granting his launch regardless of opposition from the Suffolk DA’s workplace.
Suffolk prosecutor Montez Haywood in the course of the parole listening to referred to as the slaying a “callous, brutal murder.”
“The harm that he (Rodriguez) caused on April 13, 1997 is so great, clearly still felt by this family, clearly the world was robbed of Ms. Melo and her impact on this world,” Haywood mentioned.
On the morning of the homicide, Melo was working behind the shop’s counter, whereas her 7-year-old daughter slept on a comforter beside her, and Melo’s husband slept within the downstairs stockroom.
Then at round 11:30 a.m., Rodriguez entered the shop with a butcher knife, approached Melo, and demanded cash.
Melo refused handy over money, as Rodriguez jumped over-the-counter and tried to open the money register.
Melo tried to cease him, and the battle awakened her daughter. The 2 tried to cease Rodriguez from opening the register.
In the course of the battle, Rodriguez slashed Melo throughout the face with the butcher’s knife, after which stabbed her two instances within the again.
Melo’s husband heard the battle and ran upstairs. He noticed Rodriguez leaving the shop and fleeing the realm. Melo was transported to the hospital, the place she died an hour later.
The parole board in its resolution famous that Rodriguez was being housed in decrease safety, and that a physician dominated his danger evaluation was “exceptionally low risk.”
“He has completed more than 50 rehabilitative programs and began investing in his rehabilitative efforts well before the Mattis (SJC) decision,” the board wrote. “He has a minimal historical past of disciplinary studies throughout his years of incarceration. He presents with a complete re-entry plan.
“Mr. Rodriguez has maintained his sobriety while incarcerated,” the board added. “The Board considered the testimony of the victim’s family in opposition to parole. The Board also considered testimony in opposition to parole from Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Montez Haywood. The Board concludes by unanimous decision that Rolando Rodriguez has demonstrated a level of rehabilitation that would make his release compatible with the welfare of society.”
