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Earlier today, Gov. Kay Ivey sent a letter to the members of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Parole adamantly opposing parole for Jimmy O’Neal Spencer. Spencer’s parole hearing is scheduled for tomorrow.
Spencer stands accused of killing Marie Kitchens Martin, her great-grandson Colton Ryan Lee, and Martha Reliford in July 2018.
“Under no circumstances should Jimmy O’Neal Spencer be granted parole,” Ivey said in her letter. “To parole him now would be dangerous and downright despicable.”
Convicted first in 1984, Spencer spent the next two decades filling his rap sheet with various offenses. In the early 1990s, Spencer was sentenced to life in prison following one of his multiple convictions for escape, as Ivey noted in her letter.
“But today is a time to return our focus to this particular case, and in doing so, to ensure that Spencer is never again able to harm innocent people,” Ivey wrote. “By any measure, Spencer is unworthy of parole. He has proven that he is a danger to the public and cannot be trusted in any way. His first award of parole was a grievous error, with deadly consequences for three precious lives. The Board simply cannot parole Spencer a second time.”
In total, Spencer faces seven counts of capital murder. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty. His trial is set for October 17, 2022.
