Pending Review While in Prison When Hes Supposed to Be Released

RICHMOND, VA – Karim Aziz Muhammad was released on parole in 2022 afterwards serving part of a life in prison judgement for robbery using a firearm.

This past Apr 11, while still on parole, Muhammad went on a criminal offense spree. It was reported by regime in New Kent County and Newport News that Muhammad committed nine crimes, five of which were felonies, in the last four months.

He get-go robbed Stewart's Grocery Store in Lanexa. He was arrested three days later and was incarcerated at the Henrico's Regional Jail E. He was later on released on bail.

On June 20^thursday, he committed a string of crimes endangering others' lives including children. Investigators stated Muhammad broke into a female'due south home brandishing a knife, making demands for coin and personal belongings. The firm was also occupied by children.

STEWART'S GROCERY ROBBERY Suspect TAKEN INTO CUSTODY

Mr. Karim Aziz Muhammad is in custody and is being held at Henrico Regional Jail East on no bond.

Posted by New Kent Canton Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, April 14, 2020

He and so fled the scene, with his own child, leading police on a pursuit. The pursuit ended when he crashed into a state trooper'due south police unit. The 46-year-old assaulted an officer only before existence subdued and placed in custody. The child was taken to the hospital to check for injuries.

Ane twelvemonth before Muhammad'due south parole release (2016), he was denied parole by the Virginia State Parole Board.

The reasons they gave are as follows:

"A history of violence. The serious nature and circumstances of his offenses. And a record of institutional infractions that indicated a disregard for rules and that hew was not ready to conform to society."

Later on this final crime spree, Muhammad is existence held without bond. He is beingness charged with eight crimes, abduction by strength and intimidation, and assault on a law enforcement officers.

Some law enforcement officials are wondering why he was out on bail in New Kent since he was on parole at the time of the criminal offense, leading to his offenses in Newport News.

Veteran sheriff's deputy Miles Turner, director of Law Enforcement Consulting, LLC said:

"He should've been dorsum in jail until all this offset felony was adjudicated, not three months later."

CBS6NEWS legal analyst Todd Stone said:

"A accuse like robbery is a very serious felony crime, it's a crime against a person, and normally y'all'd exist held without bond for a charge similar that. These days we've got COVID in the jails and that sort of thing, then things are a lilliputian flake dissimilar."

Muhammad should non be released from jail now.

The Virginia Parole Board is under investigation by the state's official government ombudsman: The Function of the Land Inspector Full general (OSIG).

Co-ordinate to CBS6NEWS, this is not the first controversial incident of offenders with trigger-happy histories beingness released on early parole.

Another case was that of Vincent Lamont Martin, who was serving a life sentence for murdering Richmond Patrolman Michael Connors in 1979. Patrolman Connors was shot multiple times in the head near Virginia Democracy University by Martin in Nov of 1979.

Martin, too, had previously been denied parole for similar reasons as Muhammad: an extensive criminal history which included violence. Nonetheless, before this twelvemonth, Martin was released from incarceration.

Ignoring appeals from family unit members and the police enforcement community writ big, ⁦Ralph Northam, ⁦@GovernorVA⁩, paroles Vincent Lamont Martin — a man who common cold-bloodedly executed a Richmond cop in 1979. Martin released yesterday from prison house. https://t.co/JFqzpmwf11

— James A. Gagliano (@JamesAGagliano) June 11, 2020

4 out of five parole board members voted to set him free.

Patrolman Connors' family, Richmond's commonwealth attorney, and law enforcement requested that the board overturn the release of Martin. The release of Martin was delayed twice but was finally released on June ten, 2020.

Virginia's secretarial assistant of public safe and homeland security, Brian Moran, was reported as maxim:

"The parole board has sole discretion with respect to parole in the Democracy of Virginia."

The OSIG investigation is expected to exist completed soon.

CBS6NEWS reported that Moran said:

"We want to make sure in the future the parole lath has a process in place, follows their procedures, and we'll accept a look at that when OSIG completes their investigation."

Law Enforcement Today has reported on the release of Vincent Lamont Martin. Here'south the most contempo written report.

This is a follow up to a story that we published last month regarding the release of a cop killer in Virginia.

A man who was sentenced to prison house in the 1979 killing of an on-duty Richmond, VA., police force officer was scheduled to be paroled on Monday. However, the release has been put on hold later on a Richmond television station reported on some irregularities in the decision to parole the inmate.

CBS-6 was told by the sister of the slain police force officer that her family was never given a chance to give an bear on argument to the parole board, which was required under Virginia police.

Virginia'south government watchdog is looking into the determination to grant parole to Vincent Martin, who was serving a life judgement in the execution-style killing of Patrolman Michael Connors, 23, who was shot multiple times near the campus of VCU on November. 13, 1979.

Richmond Democracy's Attorney Colette McEachin had sent a letter to the parole lath, asking them to reconsider their determination to release Martin and rescind the release, explaining that she was concerned well-nigh Martin'south fettle to exist paroled.

She explained that she as well had questions nigh the procedure used by the board.

Brian Moran, Virginia'south Secretarial assistant of Public Safe and Homeland Security told the news station that he would expect over McEachin's letter.

In Apr, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam told CBS-6 that he would review the case, and Martin'southward release appointment was delayed. In addition to the Martin case, country officials are reviewing other recent decisions made by the parole lath, CBS-6 said.

The Part of the Country Inspector General opened up an investigation final week to look into how the Virginia Parole Board handled the case. A spokesman for OSIG would non confirm or deny in that location was an investigation when an inquiry was made by local media.

The case has also gotten the attention of lawmakers in the Commonwealth, causing an uproar.

"Because of those [lawmaker concerns], I believe there has now been an independent investigation begun," said Moran.

"Every bit reported by a local television station last week, parole board became aware of information technology, in light of an independent investigation into the process by which the parole board made that decision.

They have determined to put it on concord temporarily. This will allow the removal of the cloud that has formed over this parole determination."

Martin, who is at present 64 years old was supposed to be released this past Mon.

In a statement on Monday, the Parole Board said that they were putting a temporary hold on Martin'south release due to the OSIG investigation.

The chair of the Virginia Parole Board, Tonya Chapman, who took over in April, said that the determination to filibuster the release was fabricated in social club to ensure due diligence.

"The focus of the authoritative investigation will be on compliance with Code, regs, policies and procedures, etc. in the controlling process.

OSIG will non be evaluating the ultimate decisions made by the Parole Board," the Role of the Land Inspector Full general said in a argument.

The hold on Martin's release is simply temporary; they tin can only concord off for 30 days awaiting the determination of OSIG's investigation.

According to the Associated Printing, Martin was one of dozens of inmates who had been convicted of murder who were granted parole in March subsequent to a push to accelerate the review of so-called "parole eligible" inmates due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"This has been a hard decision and was not fabricated lightly; even so, information technology is important to afford OSIG an opportunity to review the matters earlier them," said the Virginia Parole Board in a statement.

"The Board remains confident in its decision to grant parole to Mr. Martin and looks frontwards to the conclusion of this administrative investigation."

The shooting of Patrolman Connors occurred after a traffic finish, where the vehicle Martin was in was traveling the wrong mode downward a one-style street. Besides Martin, there were several accomplices in the vehicle. The group had just held upward a seven-Eleven shop in the Monroe Ward neighborhood of Richmond.

Connors was unaware of the robbery and was shot in the cervix every bit he was approaching the vehicle. After the initial shot, and as Connors lay dying, Martin stood over him and fired several more than shots into his head. In other words, he was executed in common cold blood.

"It was a flat-out execution," said retired prosecutor Stacy Garrett, who tried the case.

The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police spoke out against Martin's release, and asked Northam to rescind Martin's parole awaiting the OSIG investigation.

"For the by month, we have been in contact with retired and agile Richmond Police officers with corking concern most the release of Vincent Martin, who was convicted for the 1979 felony murder of Officer Michael Connors," VACP officials wrote.

"Final year when Marti northward was reviewed for parole, his release was not recommended by the Parole Board."

The group closed the letter by asking Northam to "make sure that a terrible miscarriage of justice does not occur."

In improver to the law chiefs, several Republican legislators from across Virginia besides wrote to Northam to urge him to stop the release.

In request Northam to step in, the legislators cited irregularities in the parole lath'south decision to release Martin besides as the circumstances of Officer Connors' murder.

"The urgency of our request cannot exist overstated," the letter said. "Absent-minded an immediate intervention by you, Vincent Martin walks gratuitous tomorrow. We owe information technology 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, off-white and only."

In addition to the above, Martin's release also outraged Richmond Police Principal William Smith.

In case you lot missed it… here was the original story:

In 1979, Richmond Law Officer Michael P. Connors was shot four times in the head after making a routine traffic stop. The trigger man was Vincent Lamont Martin. The then 24-year-old Martin was bedevilled of capital murder and was sentenced to death in February of 1980.

Six months afterward, on August 10, 1980, the Virginia Supreme Court overturned the death penalty judgement and replaced it with a life sentence.

Now, the Virginia Parole Board has fabricated the determination to grant him parole and set him free.

As the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported:

"The decision sparked outrage in the constabulary enforcement community, with Richmond'due south constabulary chief calling for an immediate review of the process that led to the decision."

Hmm…yous think?

Adrianne Fifty. Bennett, chair of the Virginia Parole Board, said:

"This has been an extremely difficult determination for the Parole Board due to the nature of the crime and the understandable victim impact and objection.

The Parole Lath's conclusion to grant parole is not intended to diminish the life or service of Officer Connors. Our deepest sympathy is extended to the family of Officer Connors."

I cannot speak for Officer Connors' family, but if he had been my dad or brother, I would tell the Parole Board what they could practise with their sympathy.

Bennett pointed to the fact that Williams had already served 40 years and had been eligible for parole subsequently serving 14 years.

Bennett also wrote:

"Over the decades, Vincent Martin has demonstrated himself to be a trusted leader, peacemaker, mediator and mentor in the correctional community. The determination to release Martin was not taken lightly past the Parole Board. After much deliberation and for foregoing reasons, the Parole Board, past a super majority of four votes, granted parole to Vincent Martin."

At the fourth dimension Mr. Martin was sentenced to life, he was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. So he's been eligible since 1994."

Hey Adrianne, I demand you to answer a question: If Martin was such a model prisoner, and he was then upstanding over all those decades, why was he denied parole just two years ago? Walk me through it.

He was convicted of killing a cop and received the death sentence. That was downgraded to a life sentence. And you say that during the xl years that he has been in prison, he has been a fantastic guy. Simply he has eligible for parole since 1994. And you lot denied him only two years ago. Why?

How is information technology that a cop-killer was non provided parole for the first 24 years of eligibility, yet he became so awesome in the past 18 months or and so, that parole was deemed to be the correct option?

I am non the only raising these questions and angered over the determination to free a cop-killer.

William Smith, Chief of the Richmond Police force Department said in a statement:

"Vincent Martin was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury of his peers for the execution of Police force Officeholder Michael Connors, an officeholder who had merely made a traffic cease and was ambushed on his approach to the vehicle. I am personally dismayed by the actions of the Virginia Parole Lath and I know that all Richmond police officers, by and present, expect that their lives and sacrifices would carry more than weight and value in society than to let this person's release.

Dana Schrad, executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Law, said:

"We are appalled and disappointed with the Parole Lath's determination to release Vincent Martin. This is a felony murder case involving the cruel killing of Richmond Constabulary Officer Michael Connors which should non exist considered for parole.

The Connors family is grieving over again over the lack of concern for the impact on their family unit, and it is a slap in the face to every police force enforcement officer in Virginia."

A friend of Connors, returned officer Tom MacKnight alerted constabulary agencies and state law makers of the determination, co-ordinate to the Times-Dispatch.

"This person is hardly worthy of the consideration of parole, much less existence released into society. Prison house time is supposed to be penalisation, not social justice. Granting parole is an accented travesty of justice, and makes a mockery of the justice system. This must be blocked."

But Bennett had a response to all of the backlash.

"The Parole Board's decision is last. There is no dominance to cake it, fifty-fifty by the Republic Attorney's office. The Parole Lath has fully complied with its policy. There is no space for pressure campaigns in a counterbalanced criminal justice system. This Parole Board makes decisions impartially, not based on threats."

Never wanting to pass up an opportunity to have a swipe at the entirety of law enforcement, Democrat Virginia Country Senator Joe Morrissey had this to say:

"I do not understand the caste of angst that seems to be [prevalent] among the police. Every time somebody who is being considered for parole and it involves a kickoff-responder, there's this uproar."

Let that sink in. Morrissey is proverb that the constabulary enforcement community needs to merely shut up non say a word, just accept that getting killed is a job risk and go over it.

According to the Times-Dispatch, Morrissey said:

"'If we want people to rehabilitate themselves, and they exercise well after four decades, what more do you desire?' Morrissey added, noting that Martin had at times served as a prison mediator to help defuse incidents among inmates."

What we want, Joe, is for people who take the lives of our emergency responders to be held answerable. Is that too much to ask?

That might exist a stupid question considering that Virginia is a state that is turning loose violent criminals during the pandemic, all while threatening to criminalize church building attendance with a year in jail or a $2,500 fine.

The Richmond paper also shared the thoughts of Cheryl Nici-O'Connell:

"[Nici-O'Connell,] a one-time Richmond police officer who was shot and wounded on duty in 1984, said Richmond United for Law Enforcement is calling for the parole lath'due south conclusion to exist rescinded.

In a release, she contends that the parole board is releasing Martin without requiring or allowing him to participate in a land re-entry programme, which usually runs about five to 6 months prior to release.

'How is an individual who is institutionalized subsequently a life of violence that never held a chore supposed to re-enter society and get a productive non-violent member of a world that he knows nothing about?' she wrote.

'Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, there are no jobs or employment for police constant citizens, much less for those convicted of robbery, capital letter murder, and other violent crime convictions.'"

What are your thoughts? Should Williams spend the remainder of his life in prison. Should bedevilled cop-killers ever run across the light of twenty-four hour period as a free person?

Let u.s.a. know.

—

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