A convicted first-degree assassin who shot and killed a 27-year-old man is being launched by the state’s parole board.
Ernest Benjamin, now 50 years outdated, again in 1996 was sentenced to life in jail with out the potential for parole after he was convicted of killing Anthony Simmons on a avenue in Brockton.
As a result of Benjamin was 20 years outdated on the time of the homicide, he grew to become eligible for parole following final 12 months’s state Supreme Judicial Court docket ruling — which decided that life with out parole sentences are unconstitutional for rising adults (ages 18-20).
The parole board has now OK’d a house plan for Benjamin regardless of opposition from the sufferer’s household and the Plymouth DA’s Workplace.
“Our office will always be a voice and fight for victims of crime in all of our cases,” Plymouth DA Timothy Cruz stated in a press release. “We will continue to oppose the release of violent criminals who choose to ignore our laws and have forever harmed innocent people in our communities.”
The lethal capturing was on July 30, 1995 when Benjamin attended a cookout in Brockton and encountered Simmons throughout the road.
Benjamin confronted Simmons and accused him of promoting medicine on “his block.” Simmons denied promoting medicine and started to stroll away.
Then Benjamin pulled out a gun and fired at him. In line with Benjamin’s testimony at trial, he closed his eyes as he fired, opened them to see Simmons strolling, and started firing once more.
He testified that he meant to trigger harm, however to not kill Simmons, who died after being struck by 4 bullets and grazed by two others.
Benjamin initially fled to Puerto Rico. He returned a number of weeks later and turned himself in to the Brockton Police Division.
Within the parole board’s resolution to approve a house plan launch, the board wrote: “Mr. Benjamin earned his GED in 2005. He participated in the Boston University degree program, but did not complete it. Mr. Benjamin is employed as a runner.”
“He has been disciplinary report free for almost 10 years,” the board added. “He completed Criminal Thinking in March 2025. He has been engaged in rehabilitative programming for many years. Mr. Benjamin has a strong re-entry plan, which includes acceptance to the Tufts re-entry program, MyTERN. The Board finds that the benefits of the services available through MyTERN warrant a release plan structured to assure he attends MyTERN, as he has been accepted to the 2025-2026 cohort.”
The board heard testimony in assist of parole from forensic psychologist Katherine Herzog, a psychological well being clinician, two of Benjamin’s buddies, and a member of the family.
The board heard opposition testimony from Simmons’ mom, sister, a household pal, a minister, in addition to Plymouth County ADA Arne Hantson.
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