PADUCAH, Ky — Members of the Kentucky Parole Board on Monday heard from two of the students who were injured and the family of one victim who died in the 1997 shooting at Heath High School, near Paducah, Kentucky.
On the morning of Dec. 1, 1997. 14-year-old Michael Carneal shot and killed three students and injured five others.
Nicole Hadley, 14; Jessica James, 17; and Kayce Steger, 15 all died from their injuries.
Carneal was sentenced to life in prison with a chance for parole after 25 years. On Monday, two parole board members listened to public victim impact statements.
Nicole Hadley’s father, Chuck, was the first to speak.
“Our family lives have been impacted by the moment in 1997. The memories that we have can never be replaced. We cannot go through our lives without being reminders of what we are missing from our daughter being murdered,” he said.
Nichole’s mother, brother and older sister, Jessica, believe Carneal should not be granted parole.
“I believe that he should have to spend the rest of his life incarcerated. Nicole does not get a second chance — why should he?” said Christina Hadley Ellegood.
Hadley Ellegood was also at school the day and was not injured in the shooting.
“Over the last 25 years, I’ve had to learn how to deal with a lot, and most people will never understand what I’ve been through. From what I understand, I was the first sibling to survive a school shooting where I lost a sibling. I had no one to turn to who understood what I was going through. I had my world turned upside down because of the actions of Michael,” Hadley Ellegood said.
Of the eight people to talk, only Holan Holm, who was one of the five injured, believed Carneal should be released. Holm said this was not an easy one to make.
"Michael Carneal has done much to cause this justifiable anger. I feel that anger, too, but when I feel that anger, I think about the 14-year-old boy who acted that day, and I think of my own children, and I think the man that boy became should get the chance to try to do and be better,” Holm said.
McCracken County Assistant Commonwealth Attorney James Mills believes this is the first school shooter in the county to go before a parole board. He mentioned that in other cases, parole was granted but based on state laws concerning minors.
More than two and a half decades later, Mills’ office stands firm on its stance: that Carneal should remain behind bars.
“It’s our position as the prosecutors, in this case, is that parole should be denied,” Mills said.
Not all of the victims and families wished to speak publicly and have spoken with the parole board in private.
Carneal will get the chance to speak with the parole board tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.. Here is where you can watch the public hearing.