Colorado Springs – A man who told police he shot two teenage boys at random “to get something off my chest” was recommended for release from prison following a parole hearing Tuesday.
Jeron Grant, 26, and an accomplice were charged in the Valentine’s Day 1997 shotgun shooting deaths of Andrew Westbay, 13, and Scott Hawrysiak, 15, who were gunned down at close range as they walked home after playing video games at a neighbor’s house.
Parole board member Curtis Devin, who held the hearing, recommended Grant be released in either August or September, only a few weeks earlier than his mandatory October release date.
Grant still must serve an 18-month sentence in an El Paso County jail for a contempt of court conviction, and he will be on parole for three years following his release.
Grant was convicted of accessory to manslaughter in Westbay’s death and being an accessory to second-degree murder in Hawrysiak’s death. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, which was reduced because of good behavior.
“This was a travesty of justice right from the beginning and I hope Jeron Grant’s jury is very proud of themselves that they’re letting a confessed double murderer walk out on the streets,” Andrew’s uncle, Michael Westbay told The Gazette.
During his hearing Tuesday at the Buena Vista Correctional Facility, Grant slammed officials for not releasing him earlier.
“You sent me back year after year for aggravating factors that did not exist in my crime,” said Grant, who during trial denied being the shooter.
“I was just there. I just happened to be there,” he said at his parole hearing.
Jurors at the 1998 trial said the written confession of the then 17-year-old Grant wasn’t believable and prosecutors presented no physical evidence to convince them Grant was the shooter.
“Did he seem apologetic? No,” Devin said after the hearing.
“He seemed to want to get his parting shot at the parole board.” In a separate trial Gary Flakes was convicted of being an accessory and criminally negligent homicide and received 15 years, with mandatory release in July 2010.
Devin’s recommendation must still be approved by the parole board, though that wouldn’t affect Grant’s mandatory release date.
Contributed by The Colorado Springs Gazette
