KALAMAZOO (AP) — A Kalamazoo man imprisoned as a teenager in connection to a 1979 killing could soon be eligible for parole.
Anthony Jones, 55, was originally sentenced to life in prison without parole for felony murder. Investigators said he helped rob a local store but fled the scene before another teenager killed the store owner.
Jones was given the possibility of parole in 2012, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled some penalties unconstitutional in non-homicide cases involving juveniles.
Since then, court rulings and legislative changes set up procedures for sentencing juveniles convicted of homicides — and meant that Jones had the opportunity for a new sentence, the MLive reported.
Kalamazoo County Circuit Court Judge Gary C. Giguere Jr. resentenced Jones recently to between 30 years and 60 years in prison, giving him credit for the more than 33 years he’s already served.
Investigator said Jones planned and participated in a robbery of Lesman’s Market in Kalamazoo on Jan. 4, 1979, where he struck store owner Ronald Hermanns but fled the scene before another teenager fatally shot Hermanns.
Jones said Tuesday he regrets his actions and was sorry for the pain he caused Hermanns’ family.
“I believe that God has given me the opportunity to have a second chance at life,” he said. “I do plan to take advantage of it to be the best person that I can be.”
Giguere stressed that in imposing the sentence, Jones needed to balance the need for justice from the victim’s family and applying the concept of redemption for himself.
Attorney Kimberly Thomas, who represented Jones for seven years, said Tuesday that Jones has been involved in a lot of programs available to him, including Muskegon Correctional Facility’s dog-handling program.
The decision on whether Jones will be deemed safe to be released into the community is up to the parole board.
“Obviously, having the kind of family support that he has and the structure and what he’s learned in the Department of Corrections will help him with that, but they
(parole board members) ultimately have to make the determination,” Thomas said. “He’s just thankful to have that opportunity to ask for that chance.”
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