COs Denounce Parole Board's Decision to Release "Thrill Killer"

The Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers has denounced the RI Parole Board's decision to release "Thrill Killer" Alfred Brissette 13 years into a 35-year sentence.

Brissette is convicted of killing Jeanette Descoteaux of Woonsocket, pleading "no contest" to killing her for the thrill. He'll be out on parole this year with 22 years of his sentence left for the 1999 murder of the Woonsocket woman. Turnto10.com reported Monday that the murderer will be freed as planned according to the board's original June 2012 vote. 

“We are absolutely disgusted and appalled that the Parole Board would put the citizens of Rhode Island in danger by voting again to release ‘The Thrill Killer,’ said David Mellon, President of RIBCO. 

"Here is a guy who kidnapped a random woman, beat her over the head with a lug wrench, tried to sever her spine with a shovel, and then dug a hole to bury her in. And he did it for fun. Now he is being released after serving only thirteen years because they were ‘impressed with inmate’s program participation and his documented plan for change.’ We find that to be not only non-sensical, but also dangerous to innocent Rhode Islanders.” 

RIBCO supports legislation at the State House, specifically bills H-5145 and H-5147, which would stiffen the sentencing guidelines of felons convicted of murder in the first and second degrees. But the bills have been held in the House Judiciary Committee for further study. “It’s time to review the policies that are currently in place, whether it be legislatively or otherwise. Because if we are releasing a vicious murderer like Alfred Brissette decades before his release date, then something is wrong. Our current policies are allowing for violent criminals to be released into our neighborhoods. Just because they behave in prison does not make them fit to be released. I am calling on our legislators to take immediate action to change these policies legislatively before tragedy strikes again.”  

RIBCO’s “End The Violence, Rhode Island” campaign has highlighted some especially egregious examples of early release, like Freddie Bishop, Andrew Jett, Matthew Komrowski and Jason Pleau, all of whom were released early–and all of whom murdered people not long after they were released.   

To learn more about the ‘End The Violence, Rhode Island’ campaign or to see our ads, visit www.EndTheViolenceRI.com.  

WPRI.com, which broke the story, reports the exact release date has not been set, and will be scheduled after Brissette's post release plan is approved.