Overview
- Jose Colon, who was 20 at the time, is scheduled for a parole hearing Thursday in the 1983 killing of State Trooper George L. Hanna during a traffic stop in Auburn.
- Gov. Maura Healey submitted a formal letter to the Massachusetts Parole Board urging denial, citing the crime’s lasting harm and its impact on public trust in law enforcement.
- Parole Board data show about 210 Mattis-eligible cases under review with roughly 52 decisions and 39 conditional releases so far, a release rate near 76%.
- Hanna’s daughters, Kim and Debbie, plan to attend the hearing and are pressing for changes to exclude killers of law enforcement or public officials from Mattis protections.
- Three men were originally convicted in the case and sentenced to life without parole, and the family fears repeated reviews could retraumatize survivors.