A New York man who was sentenced to life in prison as a teenager for the murders of his family members has been granted parole.
Brian Britton, who is now 50, injured his sister and killed his mom, dad and brother on March 22, 1989, at the family’s Poughkeepsie home, according to the Poughskeepie Journal.
Britton took a plea deal and was convicted of the three murders and attempted murder. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole and is currently housed in Otisville Correctional Facility.
Britton’s page on the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision website shows he became eligible for parole in March 2014. He has applied for it several times and was denied each time until recently.
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The Poughkeepsie Journal reported Britton had his parole hearing on March 6. A statement the outlet received from the state DOCCS said he will be released upon finishing his community preparation, which could be on or after April 10.
“The board members base their decisions on whether the standards for release are satisfied in accordance with Executive Law 259-I,” the statement to the Poughkeepsie Journal read. “Prior to making a final decision, the board members must follow the statutory requirements which take into consideration many factors, including statements made by victims and victims’ families, if any, as well as an individual’s criminal history, institutional accomplishments, potential to successfully reintegrate into the community, and perceived risk to public safety.”
Under state law, the Board of Parole takes the recommendations of the district attorney, sentencing court, and the defense lawyer into account when making a decision.
According to the local outlet, Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Weishaupt said his office opposed Britton’s parole in a letter to the board ahead of the March 6 hearing. The letter was not available, but it reportedly objected to the decision the board ultimately reached.
Weishaupt noted that, to his knowledge, Britton has never expressed remorse for his actions, and he wanted to know what “set of facts” the board used to grant him parole.
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Britton was denied parole in November 2021, the Poughskeepie Journal reported, but he was granted a de novo interview in March. The board did not release a statement explaining why Britton was granted parole.
A Change.org petition by Britton’s sister, who survived the killings, to then Gov. Andrew Cuomo clearly stated that she wanted him to remain in jail.
The petition in part said:
“I fear for my life and that of my children if he were to be released. The only reason he admitted to the crimes was that he found out that I was alive. His intent on that fateful morning was to kill his entire family, but I survived.
“He has never shown remorse. He has never given a reason as to why he did what he did. He has never reached out to me (since he has been in prison) to try to reestablish ties. All these are things that need to be done before someone can even think of being released.”
Weishaupt told the Poughskeepsie Journal his office is waiting to hear from the board about the circumstances surrounding Britton’s release, including where he will be living.
Fox News Digital reached out to the New York DOCCS for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
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