Governor's Council Approves Commutations For Convicted Murderers

BOSTON — For the first time in 25 years, the Massachusetts Governor's Council unanimously voted to commute the sentences of convicted felons for their roles in first-degree murder cases on Wednesday.

The council approved the clemency pleas of William Allen and Thomas Koonce, two men who have already served almost 30 years of their life sentences without parole.

This step comes after Gov. Charlie Baker approved the pleas last month when the State Advisory Board of Pardons had unanimously recommended to Baker last year that he commute their sentences from first to second-degree murder, making them eligible for parole.

"I believe 30 years in jail is enough," Robert Jubinville, a member of the Governor's council was reported saying on Twitter.

Allen, now 48, was with a friend in 1994 who planned to rob a drug dealer, but the robbery instead ended with the drug dealer being stabbed to death.

Allen was charged with the felony murder of Purvis Bester and armed robbery as a result of being a joint venture. He admitted to participating in the armed robbery before the murder but wasn't even in the room when Bester was killed.

The man who did murder Bester, Roland Perry, took a plea deal and was released from prison 12 years ago, but Allen remains behind bars.

Leah Cole, Bester's daughter, said she forgave Allen during an earlier hearing. The Enterprise also reported that Bester's brothers supported Allen's commutation.

Koonce, now 54, was 20 years old and a former marine when he shot and killed 24-year-old Mark J. Santos, of New Bedford in 1987.

Through court records, Koonce has maintained that he meant to fire a warning shot in the air, never to actually hit Santos when two groups from New Bedford and Brockton began fighting.
He is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder with no chance of parole. His sentence started on Dec. 21, 1991.

Over the last few decades, Allen and Koonce have made strides doing "extraordinary things while in jail," Terrence Kennedy, member of the Governor's Council said back in January.

Allen has earned vocational licenses to be a barber and work in the food service, and has consistently held a job, including working as a companion to assist severely mentally ill patients at Bridgewater State Hospital all while behind bars, the administration said.

Related: Safety Report Calls For Shutdown Of Bridgewater State Hospital

Koonce has participated in several programs, was active in the church, and earned a bachelor's degree through Boston University's prison education program while serving time, the administration said.

In Feb. 2020, Baker issued guidelines for commuting a sentence. In order to be considered, the convicted criminal must have fulfilled certain requirements: having accepted responsibility for the offense, made strides in self-development and self-improvement, must have participated in Restorative Justice programs, and would now be a law-abiding citizen.

In April, New England Patriot's safety player Devin McCourty showed his support for Allen's commutation by lending his voice to Second Chance for William Allen, an organization to help his commutation, organized by Brockton Interfaith's Second Chance Justice initiative.

Now that the Governor's council approved of the commutation pleas, the process will move to the parole board.