RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia Parole Board will not grant parole to a man who was convicted of killing three people and wounding two law enforcement officers during a 1984 rampage.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Friday that the board voted not to grant parole to Kenneth Wayne Woodfin.
A relative of one of Woodfin’s victims said she received an email from the Virginia Department of Corrections that said the 74-year-old’s parole was denied.
The notice said that “the Parole Board is not convinced at this time that the offender is suitable for parole,” Kim Parke said.
Parke was the niece of Woodfin’s wife, Jean Whittaker Woodfin, whom Woodfin fatally shot. He also was convicted of killing his wife’s sister, Susan Whittaker Hall, and Hall’s boyfriend, Frank Gabbin. He then shot and wounded Hanover County sheriff’s deputy Willard “Bubba” Worsham and Richmond police officer Cheryl Nici, authorities said.
“We are very relieved that the Parole Board made the right decision and that justice will continue to be served for his victims and our families,” Parke said.
Woodfin has maintained his innocence. He got three life terms plus 116 years. He was sentenced nearly a decade before Virginia abolished parole in 1995.
A sister, Joan Robinson, said family members believe Woodfin has served enough time and deserves his freedom after nearly 37 years in prison.
