ESPN reports that parole for one of the two men, Larry M. Demery, convicted of killing Michael Jordan’s father, James R. Jordan, has been canceled. It was announced on Tuesday by a North Carolina state panel.
The state Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission had announced in 2020 that Larry M. Demery would be released as part of an agreement in which he would take part in a scholastic and vocational program designed to prepare him for life outside prison. The initial release date was August 2023, but it was later pushed back by 12 months.
The commission said Tuesday in a news release that Demery’s “agreement has been terminated” effective immediately, giving no reason. The release said that Demery, who is serving a life sentence for the first-degree murder of James Jordan in 1993, would be reviewed again for parole on or about Dec. 15, 2023.
Greg Thomas, a state Department of Public Safety spokesperson, didn’t have additional information on Demery’s situation. Generally speaking, Thomas said, a Mutual Agreement Parole Program agreement might be terminated if the prisoner isn’t following program guidelines or is violating behavior rules behind bars.
Demery, 46, is serving his sentence at a minimum security prison in Lincoln County, northwest of Charlotte, according to data the department posts online. Demery’s record shows 19 infractions lodged against him since 2001, including two for “substance possession” earlier this month.
A jury decided on a life sentence plus 40 years for Demery after he pleaded guilty in 1995 to first-degree murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. He was resentenced in 2008 after an error was found in his initial sentencing. Demery then received a life sentence, making him eligible for parole.
I believe the reason that Demery’s parole has been canceled is the man he fingered for the murder, his friend Daniel A. Green, has presented a lot of convincing evidence that while he helped Demery cover up the murder, it was Demery that pulled the actual trigger.
Green has been trying to get a new trial for years. A documentary on this tells all sides of the story if you want to check it out.
If you want the cliff notes version flip the page for the video that may prove Green’s innocence and Demerey’s guilt.