A man convicted of killing Massachusetts State Trooper George Hanna during a traffic stop in Auburn more than four decades ago will remain behind bars after the Massachusetts Parole Board denied his request for release.
Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. on Thursday praised the board’s decision to deny parole to Jose Colon, who is serving a life sentence for Hanna’s 1983 murder.
The decision follows a parole hearing held earlier this year after changes in Massachusetts law stemming from the Supreme Judicial Court’s Mattis decision made Colon eligible for parole consideration despite his original sentence, according to the district attorney’s office.
Colon, now 63, was 20 years old when Hanna was killed. According to 25 News, he has served more than 40 years in prison.
“We are pleased with the Parole Board’s decision and grateful that it carefully considered the seriousness of this crime and its lasting impact on the Hanna family and our community,” Early said in a statement released by his office. “Our thoughts remain with the Hanna family, whose strength and perseverance throughout this process have been remarkable.”
Gov. Maura Healey, who previously submitted a letter opposing Colon’s release, also welcomed the board’s decision.
“I strongly opposed Jose Colon’s parole and am grateful that the Parole Board denied his request,” Healey said in a statement. “More than four decades after Trooper George Hanna was brutally murdered while serving and protecting the people of Massachusetts, his loss continues to be felt by his family, fellow law enforcement officers and communities across our state.”
Healey added that the ruling “recognizes the magnitude of that loss and provides some measure of relief to those who have fought to ensure his memory is never forgotten.”
Hanna was killed on Feb. 26, 1983, during a traffic stop near the intersection of Routes 12 and 20 in Auburn, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks law enforcement line-of-duty deaths nationwide.
The memorial page states that Hanna stopped three men who had allegedly been searching for a business to rob. As he searched the occupants and discovered a weapon on one suspect, another man pulled out a handgun and opened fire. All three men were later arrested and sentenced to life in prison.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Hanna had served with the Massachusetts State Police for nine years and was assigned to C Troop. He was survived by his wife and three children.
His legacy remains deeply woven into Massachusetts law enforcement. The George Hanna Award is considered the highest medal a Massachusetts police officer can receive. Portions of Route 12 and Route 20 in Auburn, a section of Interstate 290 in Worcester and a bridge in Natick have also been named in his honor.
The parole process has been particularly difficult for Hanna’s family, who have publicly opposed Colon’s release.
In a reflection posted earlier this year on the Officer Down Memorial Page, Hanna’s daughter, Deborah Hanna-Kearney, described the emotional toll of attending the parole hearing.
“Now they have given that life sentence to me and my family for the rest of our lives to fight to keep him behind bars,” she wrote.
Information about when he may next become eligible for parole consideration was not immediately available.
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