Alleged gunman in 2017 killings of 2 teens could be paroled within decade, experts say gazette.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gazette.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A suspected gunman in the 2017 roadside executions of two Colorado Springs teenagers could be paroled after serving a fraction of his 30-year prison sentence.
Marco Garcia-Bravo, 24, who was moved Thursday from the El Paso County jail into Colorado Department of Corrections custody, already has a parole hearing set in October 2031, state prison records show.
Credit for participating in rehabilitative programs is likely to move that date up, even by years, allowing a potential release in well under a decade, legal experts say.
“There’s the caveat and it’s huge that the parole board doesn’t have to say yes,” said retired Denver criminal defense attorney Phil Cherner, who isn’t involved in the case. Prisoners who are denied parole must wait a certain interval, sometimes a year or more, before re-applying. And with bad behavior, they could be required to serve up to 100% of their sentences, making it impossible to predict individual outcomes.