RICHMOND, Va. — A group of Republican Virginia lawmakers called on Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, at the last minute, to prevent the release of a man convicted in the killing of a police officer in 1979.
Vincent Lamont Martin, 64, was scheduled to be released on parole Monday from the Nottoway Correctional Center in Burkeville.
State officials have said the Virginia Parole Board has accelerated its work because of the coronavirus pandemic. It has recently granted the release of dozens of violent offenders, including killers, rapists and kidnappers, blindsiding prosecutors and victims’ families who say they were not properly notified as required by law, according to an Associated Press analysis.
In a letter to Northam on Sunday, the lawmakers said the nature of the crime and irregularities involving the Parole Board’s decision should prompt the governor to halt Martin’s release.
According to WTVR-TV, the board’s decision is under investigation by the Office of the State Inspector General.
“The urgency of our request cannot be overstated. Absent an immediate intervention by you, Vincent Martin walks free tomorrow,” wrote the four lawmakers, including House Republican Leader C. Todd Gilbert and Senate Republican Leader Thomas K. Norment, Jr. “We owe it to the victim’s family, to the Richmond Police Department, and to all Virginians to ensure that the process of granting parole is consistently legal, fair, and just.”
Martin was sentenced to life in prison four decades ago for killing Richmond patrolman Michael P. Connors, who was shot four times in the head during a traffic stop, news outlets have reported.
Martin’s pending release has also drawn criticism from Connors’ family, Richmond Police Chief William Smith and Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin.
McEachin recently asked the parole board to rescind the release, saying in part that she was concerned about Martin’s suitability for parole.
Former parole board chair Adrianne Bennett, who recently left that role to become a judge, released a lengthy statement last month defending the board’s decision to release Martin. In it, she wrote that Martin “has demonstrated himself over the decades to be a trusted leader, peacemaker, mediator and mentor in the correctional community” and has been infraction-free for more than 30 years.
She criticized the pushback to the board’s decision, writing: “Ignited by the officer’s family, the Richmond Police Chief, along with other law enforcement organizations have joined in a disappointing chorus of opposition to the Parole Board’s decision. While this tactic has worked with Parole Boards in other states, this Board does not respond to this type of pressure campaign.”
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