In just a few days, three families will learn the fate of the man convicted with a crime that changed their lives forever.
Scott Williams, Bryan Crane and Richard Cary were killed during a robbery at a country store in the Brooklyn community in 1996. Following their deaths, two men responsible for the robbery and the deaths were put behind bars — a sentence that could come to an end this week.
Although Calvin Middleton will never be granted parole after his conviction in the case, Ethan Eugene Dorsey will stand before a parole board Wednesday hoping for a release from prison.
Judy Crane, an aunt to 13-year-old Bryan killed in the triple murder incident, said the community has been supportive, as family members have gathered petition signatures and letters all in hopes of keeping Dorsey behind bars.
“We have gathered about 2,500 signatures so far of people who want to keep him (Dorsey) in prison,” Crane said. “We have had about 50 letters written on behalf of the families to the parole board letting them know he needs to stay in prison.”
Family members of the three murdered are planning to be in the room Wednesday in Montgomery when Dorsey’s parole is considered by a three-member panel.
Although a package with letters and petitions has already been sent to the parole board for consideration in Wednesday’s hearing, Crane said the families will be happy to take any additional letters or petition signatures with them when they travel to Montgomery.
“We will continue to accept any last minute petitions or letters,” Crane said. “Of course what we’ve already collected has been sent on to Montgomery to be included in the information the parole board will see when making their decision. But, anyone who still wants to sign a petition or mail a letter, there is still time to do that.”
Crane said the families have been overwhelmed with support from the community — even people they don’t know. “This has really been tough on everybody in the family and we still have some trying times ahead of us,” Crane said. “But, it’s been wonderful to see people step up and write a letter or sign a petition on behalf of our loved ones. We have seen people that we don’t even know who have come in and picked up petitions to take back to their church to gather signatures or just sign one of the petitions we have. It’s been wonderful to see the support from this community.”
Crane said the family has seen no indication that Dorsey regrets what he did.
“He has shown no remorse and has not admitted any guilt in what he did,” Crane said. “It worries me that if he gets out would he be an upstanding citizen in our society. I just don’t think so.”
Crane said she echoed the hopes and prayers of everyone in the family of each of the three killed in the brutal attack nearly 17 years ago.
“I hope they keep him in prison so that he can’t hurt anyone else, every again,” Crane said.
“I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what our families have gone through then and now.”
Crane said after all the signatures are signed and all the letters written, members of the community can continue to support the three families as they make their way to Montgomery this week.
“We will certainly need some prayers going up,” Crane said. “The whole family will be waiting to hear the results. It will be a very trying day for all of us on Wednesday. Everything this community has done as we prepared for what’s coming has meant so much to us — to the entire family. It’s in God’s hands now.”