Mississippi inmate who killed his mother in 1994 denied compassionate release request

A Mississippi judge has denied a petition for the compassionate release for a man convicted of murdering his mother in 1994.

The Vicksburg Post reports that Warren County Judge M. James Chaney denied the petition by the attorneys for Russell J. Thomas. Thomas, 71, who was sentenced to life in prison in 1995, was seeking release based on his advanced age and illness.

Thomas was convicted of shooting his mother, Veulette Thomas, at the family business on Clay Street on July 30, 1994. Her body was discovered the next day when Thomas led police to the scene. He confessed to the crime shortly after and was sentenced to life in prison in 1995.

Judy Barnett, Thomas’s attorney, argued that due to his age, health, and time served, Thomas no longer poses a threat to society. She cited a federal statute she claimed supports compassionate release in such cases and presented witnesses who testified to Thomas’s good character and ability to support himself if released.

However, Warren County District Attorney Ricky Smith opposed the petition, emphasizing the violent nature of the crime and arguing that compassionate release is typically reserved for inmates with terminal illnesses, not just advanced age.

Judge Chaney ultimately sided with the prosecution, stating that the statute presented by Barnett did not apply to Thomas’s case and that such matters are better handled by the parole board. Thomas’s motion for compassionate release was denied.