Jonathan Carney had applied for commutation through the Board of Pardons and Paroles, which was later denied. This process can repeat every three years.
Audrey and Bruce Carlson thought they'd agreed to an iron-clad plea deal that meant their daughter's killer, Jonathan Carney, would be behind bars for 20 years. The mere possibility of him being granted a commutation, or a lessening of his sentence, has shaken up 20 years of fear and trauma.