Murdered officer’s siblings outraged after family member supported his killer’s parole
Forgiveness comes in many forms and Waverly Jones, the son of a police officer who was killed in the 70s by Black Liberation Army member Herman Bell, is having mercy on the convict’s soul, after telling the parole board to release the killer of his dad.
Set up or a true change of heart?
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Bell’s early parole request set off a firestorm between the Bell family and the cop’s family, reports the New York Daily News. Waverly Jones – who bares the same name of his dad Officer Waverly Jones – wrote a letter to the parole board in support of an early release of his dad’s killer.
“The simple answer is (parole) would bring joy and peace as we have already forgiven Herman Bell publicly,” Jones wrote.
“On the other hand, to deny him parole again would cause us pain as we are reminded of the painful episode each time he appears before the board.”
The parole board took the letter into strong consideration and voted March 1 to release Bell from his life sentence, since the family had forgiven him.
However, other family members are outraged and claim they did not support the early parole release.
“We would never embrace the guy who killed my brother,” said Manny Jones, 72. “We always said that (Bell) could come home when my brother comes home.”
Bell and two co-defendants were accused and convicted of killed Jones and Officer Joseph Piagentini in cold blood in 1971. Jones was shot in the back of the head and his Piagentini was shot 22 times and tortured before he was killed.
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Bell is a three-time convicted cop killer and also pleaded guilty in 2009 for killing officer John Young. Young served as an officer in San Francisco.
Bell now 70, is currently in the Shawangunk Correctional Facility in New York and hesitates to talk about the release.
“I’d be open (to talking) after all of this is behind me,” he said. “But I need space to think about things. I want to make sure everything goes through.”
Jones brother says he’s horrified that Bell is coming home.
“I was just totally shocked. We don’t embrace that,” the officer’s brother said.
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