UPDATE: Late Wednesday, the Department of Corrections and the Parole Board released that there was a miscalculation and that Gray was not supposed to be up for parole until 2027. The miscalculation was caught after LEX 18 asked about a discrepancy in the years Gray had reportedly served.
They released the following statements:
The Department of Corrections released the following statement saying, “The Department of Corrections’ priority remains the safety and security of the public. While a miscalculation occurred that allowed Mr. Gray to receive an initial hearing, there are checks and balances in place that would have prevented him from ever being released from incarceration following his full hearing. He remains incarcerated and will not be released, and all parties will be notified. We do appreciate the media for pointing out the miscalculation that allowed us to quickly address the issue, before it would have been caught.”
The Kentucky Parole Board released the following statement that said, “The Parole Board has been notified by the Department of Corrections that a miscalculation has been made in regard to Mr. Gray’s parole eligibility. Mr. Gray is not eligible for parole; therefore, no vote will be taken by the full board and he is not eligible for parole until August 2027.”
Original Story: Two members of the Kentucky Parole Board opted to send James Anthony Gray’s case to the full board after a hearing on Wednesday.
Gray was convicted in 2021 of two counts of murder in the 2007 shooting deaths of his parents, James and Vivian Gray. He was sentenced to 55 years.
The case had been tried twice before Gray’s 2021 conviction, and Gray got credit for all the time he served in jail awaiting his trials.
At his parole hearing, Gray maintained that he was innocent and that someone else killed his parents. Gray told the board members he felt he’d been convicted based on his prior bad relationship with his parents.
Rather than make a final decision Wednesday, board members Cyndi Heddleston and Michael James decided to send the case to the full board on Monday for further deliberation.
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During his questioning of Gray, James asked about an instance before the murders where Gray had reportedly told a girlfriend he wanted to kill his parents, and an instance afterward when Gray’s cellmate said that Gray had said he’d shot his parents.
According to the Kentucky Parole Board, a decision might be sent to the full board because the sitting panel members cannot reach an agreement, or because they are seeking a deferment of more than five years.
