Posted on 01/09/2012 11:45:04 AM PST by ScottinVA
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's pardon of a convicted murderer who worked as an inmate trusty at the Governor's Mansion came two weeks after the man was denied parole by a state board.
A letter to one of the victims in the case said the Mississippi Parole Board turned down 40-year-old David Gatlin on Dec. 27. The letter, dated Jan. 4 and obtained by The Associated Press, did not explain why the Parole Board rejected Gatlin's parole request. It said he was due for another parole hearing in October.
Shannon Warnock, chair of the parole board, didn't immediately respond to a message Monday.
Mississippi Department of Corrections spokeswoman Suzanne Singletary said Gatlin was released Sunday after being pardoned by Barbour, a Republican who leaves office Tuesday at the end of his second term.
Barbour's office did not respond Sunday and Monday to messages about the pardon. He has said in the past that releasing the trusties who live and work at the mansion is a tradition in Mississippi that goes back decades. Trusties are prisoners who earn privileges through good behavior.
Still, the move angered the victim's relatives and others.
Gatlin was sentenced to life in prison for killing his estranged wife, Tammy Ellis Gatlin, in 1993, and shooting her long-time friend, Randy Walker. Walker survived. The shootings took place in Brandon, Miss.
Walker's mother, Glenda Walker, said Monday that her son is afraid now that Gatlin is free.
"I have to watch him be almost paranoid when people knock on his door," she said Monday in a phone interview.
Walker said Gatlin shot his estranged wife while she was holding their young baby, then shot Randy Walker in the head.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Go back to DU, Troll.
Sounds an awful lot like another Huckabee, who claimed some God-given talent of distinguishing good from evil, better than the justice system. 4 cops (near Seattle) were shot to death because of Huckabee’s insight (and that’s probably why he didn’t run this time)...let’s hope that Haley is luckier and this animal doesn’t go on a killing spree.
“Phil Bryant is our new governor...a man that ran against many things that the progressive and fatassed haley barbour was in favor of.”
Sounds like what we conservatives dream of in Texas, if we can just rid ourselves of our Illegal-coddling governor.
I’m a troll and should go back to DU? LOL! You’re the asshat that thinks it’s great to pardon convicted murderers. That is a typical liberal position, clown.
Right, but the distinction here is that he was being pushed to run For President. And I don`t care about “tradition;” the very idea of pardoning a convicted is deplorable, well-behaved in prison or not.
Watch your potty mouth. That stuff may go with your crowd but conservatives don’t like it.
Potty mouth? LOL! By golly you are so ignorant it’s unbelievable. Any clue what an ass is? Hmm? Here’s a clue; DONKEY. How about hat? How about clown? Go look in the mirror for the answers.
By the way, you are as much a conservative as ron paul, and just as flaky.
Buh bye, clown.
Get control of your emotions and then you’ll be able to understand things.
The impossibility of reaching 100% accuracy is a fact and I'm dismayed anyone would dispute it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.