Mass. Parole Board Releases Five Murderers Including Killer Who Shot a Teen and Helped Stab Him 79 Times
The Massachusetts Parole Board has approved the release of five more murder convicts who were originally sentenced to life without parole, continuing a quiet but steady shift in how the state treats its most serious crimes.
All five prisoners were convicted of first degree murder or acting as an accessory to murder. All were once told they would never walk free.
Their eligibility comes from a 2024 ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, which barred life without parole sentences for so called “emerging adults” aged 18 to 20 at the time of their crimes.
Since the ruling, the Parole Board has approved the release of 39 convicted murderers and denied parole to 12. In the opening weeks of this year alone, five more were granted freedom while three were denied.
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One of those approved is Jeffrey Hardy, a first degree murderer who was 20 years old in 1994 when he killed 19 year old Thomas Moran.
Moran’s body was found in a Medford park. He had been shot in the face and stabbed 79 times.
Earlier that day, Hardy and Moran had been drinking beer and playing basketball with friends. Hardy purchased marijuana treated with PCP, which Moran smoked throughout the afternoon and evening. According to testimony, Moran complained the drug was weak and mocked Hardy, saying he had been “beat.”
Hardy left the group for about 15 minutes and returned with a gun tucked into his pants.
After stopping at a bar, the group drove to a nearby park. Hardy told everyone to get out of the car and claimed a dealer was on the way. Moments later, Moran was shot. The group then stabbed him repeatedly.
A witness testified that Hardy later bragged about the killing, saying, “Did you hear how many times we got him? 80 times.”
Prosecutors urged the Parole Board to keep Hardy behind bars. Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Adrienne Lynch cited decades of violent behavior in prison, including assaults, stabbings, weapons possession, and threats.
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She argued that Hardy’s actions could not be blamed on youthful immaturity alone, noting his violence continued well into his thirties.
The Parole Board disagreed. In its decision, the board pointed to Hardy’s clean disciplinary record over the last 15 years and his claim of nearly three decades of sobriety.
“The Board concludes that Jeffrey Hardy has demonstrated a level of rehabilitation that would make his release compatible with the welfare of society,” the decision stated.
Another parole grant went to Lonnie Watkins, convicted of killing 23 year old Kevin Christopher and 21 year old Lloyd Industrious in Mattapan in 1993.
The two victims were leaving a party around 4 a.m. when they were surrounded by a group of young men, including Watkins, who was 18. Armed and intent on robbery, the group opened fire. One victim was shot 12 times, the other seven times. The gold necklace they targeted was taken from Christopher’s body.
Both men died at the scene.
Kevin Denis, also granted parole, was 18 in 1994 when he shot and killed 17 year old Diron Spence in Dorchester during a street robbery. Wearing a ski mask, Denis demanded money, then pulled a .357 Magnum and fired five shots from close range. Three struck Spence, killing him.
These releases come as parole officials consider the case of Jose Colon, who murdered Massachusetts State Police Trooper George L. Hanna in 1983. Colon, who was 20 at the time, shot the trooper six times at close range.
Colon is now eligible for parole under the same “emerging adult” ruling. Governor Maura Healey submitted a letter opposing his release ahead of a high profile hearing this week.
For families of victims, the decisions reopen old wounds. For the state, they mark a new era where even the most brutal murders no longer guarantee a lifetime behind bars.
