GOP lawmakers to probe paroles of Minnesota murderers

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Republican leaders say they will hold hearings into the state corrections commissioner’s decisions to parole four convicted killers since January.

Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch and House Speaker Kurt Zellers sent a letter Friday to Gov. Mark Dayton expressing “grave concern” over the paroles. They said legislative public safety committees want to review decisions by Corrections Commissioner Tom Roy.

Roy has granted their paroles on murder convictions despite life sentences, including a reputed gang leader and a cop killer. Two of the four remain in prison to serve time for other offenses.

Minnesota has had a system of fixed sentences since 1980, but a corrections spokesman says there are still 468 offenders in state prisons who have or will become eligible for parole at some point.