Massachusetts Parole Board Hears Case of Sudbury High School Killer

John Odgren stood before the Massachusetts Parole Board on Tuesday to petition for release from prison, nearly two decades after he killed his high school classmate. The 16-year-old Odgren stabbed James Alenson, then 15, to death in a bathroom at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in January 2007. Odgren originally received a sentence of life without parole, but a subsequent change in state law now prohibits that penalty for offenders under age 21.

Odgren told the board that he feared this hearing more than anything else in his incarceration. In a prepared statement, he expressed deep shame over taking Alenson's life and fear regarding the prospect of facing the victim's family for the first time since the trial. During the initial 2007 proceedings, the defense argued that Odgren suffered from severe mental illness and Asperger's syndrome. However, during the Tuesday hearing, Odgren stated that reading books by author Stephen King had triggered the paranoid and fearful feelings that led to the violence.

The hearing lasted four hours. Records presented to the board show that Odgren has been involved in fights while in custody, though he has also completed treatment programs and maintained regulated medication. His attorney argued that she does not seek immediate freedom for her client. Instead, she proposed releasing him to a state hospital for continued care, suggesting this would be a safer option than full release.

James Alenson's family attended the entire hearing, often stepping out of the room when his name was mentioned. Carman Alenson, James' mother, testified before the board. She said the family no longer asks why the murder happened. Instead, they grapple with whether James suffered, what he was thinking in his final moments, and if he knew he was loved. She described the loss as the grief of a life he never got to live.

As Alenson spoke, Odgren wept. She pleaded with the board, describing the killing as a heinous act. She warned that releasing Odgren would provide him with another opportunity to commit violence. Odgren's elderly parents were also present. Paul Odgren told the board that his family would support him at every step, regardless of the board's decision.

The board has not yet issued a ruling on the parole petition. The case highlights the tension between updated juvenile sentencing laws and the families of victims who feel the original sentence of life without parole was necessary.