Dear Friends: Thank You 2019


December 21st, 2019

Dear Friends,

With a heavy heart, we are writing to inform you that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has decided to release the offender, Brandon Threet, on parole. While we are clearly disappointed with the Board’s decision, we could not have gone this far in the parole process without your strength and support.

On December 19th, 2019, we received the following notice from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Victim Services Division:


        On 12/19/2019, the Board of Pardons and Paroles approved the offender for parole; the
        offender will be tentatively released in May 2020.

        The offender will have the following special conditions imposed on his parole supervision:

        o   The offender shall be released to a high level of supervision.
        o   The offender shall comply with the Super Intensive Supervision Program.
        o   The offender shall not enter the following counties: Travis and Williamson counties.
        o   The offender shall have no contact with any member of the deceased victim's family.

        The Board of Pardons and Paroles can impose, withdraw or modify special conditions at 
        their discretion. You will receive additional notification when the offender's parole 
        certificate is issued, giving you the telephone number of the supervising District Parole 
        Office. After the offender's release, you may contact the Victim Services Division for the
        supervising parole officer's name; as well as the offender's physical address.


We understand how difficult it was to write a parole protest letter or to sign a parole protest petition. We appreciate the time, effort, thought and heart you put in. Since our first parole protest in 2012, and our subsequent protests in 2015, 2017 and 2019, your support for us increased each year and we are grateful. Every word in your letters and every signed petition had a significant impact on the Parole Board's decision.

However, against our wishes, rather than have the offender serve his full sentence until 7/15/2022, the Parole Board determined that now was the time to release the offender under parole supervision tentatively in May 2020, to insure a better outcome for the offender and the community. The Parole Board also considered the violent “Nature of the offense” and imposed strict conditions on the offender, Brandon Threet, including the highest level of supervision, wearing a monitoring device, not entering Travis or Williamson counties, and not directly or indirectly contacting us.

We've been told by TDCJ Victim Services that our protest has been one of the largest in recent history. To process our protest, TDCJ Victim Services expedited improvements to their system that ultimately help other victims, their families and friends in protesting their offender's parole.

There are not enough words for us to express our gratitude to you for helping us over the years. We can only recite Terence's expectation of life which he wrote in his college essay:

My goal is to reach an old age and be able to look back on my life and smile, 
knowing that others have benefited from me being alive, 
and I have impacted their lives in a positive way.

Because of Threet's cruelty and violence, Terence didn't live to an old age and Terence will never get the chance to look back on his life and smile. Terence's death has brought us pain and grief forever.

Your support and friendship along with Terence's words have helped bring us the courage to live positively. Again, we thank you for standing with us. If you have any questions, please contact us.


Sincerely,
James, Chung, and Brendan McArdle








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