A convicted first-degree murderer who killed a convenience store owner in front of her 7-year-old daughter has been released on parole.
The The Massachusetts Parole Board release Rolando Rodriguez, who was 18 when he stabbed 32-year-old Kenya Melo to death while trying to rob her Chelsea supermarket in 1997.
Rodriguez was convicted of first-degree murder in Suffolk Superior Court a year later, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
But he became eligible for parole after the Massachusetts Supreme Court’s decision last year — when the SJC ruled that it is unconstitutional to sentence emerging adults (18 to 20 years old) to life in prison without parole.
Earlier this year, Rodriguez appeared before the state parole board for an initial hearing, and now the board is granting his release despite opposition from the Suffolk district attorney’s office.
Suffolk prosecutor Montez Haywood called the killing a “heartless, brutal murder” during the parole hearing.
“The damage he (Rodriguez) caused on April 13, 1997 is so great, clearly still felt by this family, it is clear that the world has been robbed of Ms. Melo and her impact on this world,” Haywood said.
On the morning of the murder, Melo worked behind the counter of the store, while her 7-year-old daughter slept on a comforter next to her, and Melo’s husband slept in the warehouse downstairs.
Then, around 11:30 a.m., Rodriguez entered the store with a butcher knife, approached Melo and demanded money.
Melo refused to hand over cash, while Rodriguez jumped over the counter and tried to open the register.
Melo tried to stop him, and the struggle woke her daughter. The two tried to stop Rodriguez from opening the cash register.
During the struggle, Rodriguez hit Melo in the face with the butcher knife and then stabbed her twice in the back.
Melo’s husband heard the struggle and ran upstairs. He saw Rodriguez leave the store and flee the area. Melo was transported to the hospital, where she died an hour later.
The parole board noted in its decision that Rodriguez was housed in lower security and that a doctor ruled his risk assessment was “exceptionally low risk.”
“He has completed more than 50 rehabilitation programs and began investing in his rehabilitation efforts well before the Mattis (SJC) decision,” the board wrote. “He has a minimal history of disciplinary reports during his years of incarceration. He presents a comprehensive re-entry plan.
“Mr. Rodriguez has maintained his sobriety while incarcerated,” the board added. “The Board has considered the testimony of the victim’s family in conflict with parole. The Board has also considered the testimony of Assistant Suffolk County District Attorney Montez Haywood. The Board unanimously concludes that Rolando Rodriguez has demonstrated a level of rehabilitation that would make his release compatible with the good of society.”
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