Boston man paroled after serving 16 years of life sentence for fatal stabbing outside bar

Massachusetts Parole Board Grants Parole to Man Serving 16 Years for Fatal Stabbing Outside Bar

In a recent decision, the Massachusetts Parole Board has granted parole to Corey Patterson, a 38-year-old man who was convicted of second-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of another man outside an Allston bar in 2009. Patterson had been serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole since his conviction in 2012.

According to the Parole Board's decision, Patterson was paroled on January 20 after demonstrating sustained sobriety throughout his incarceration, insight into and accountability for his actions, and educational investments, including earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston University. The board also noted that Patterson has established community support and employment plans, as well as worked with legislators on issues related to structural racism.

The stabbing occurred in 2009 when Patterson, then 23 years old, made a comment towards a woman who was with the victim, Gregory Phillips, and his friends. A fight broke out between the two groups, resulting in Patterson approaching Phillips with a knife and stabbing him in the chest. Phillips later died from his injuries.

As part of his parole, the board imposed several conditions, including six months of electronic monitoring, a two-week waiver for work, drug and alcohol supervision, and a nightly curfew requiring Patterson to be home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. at his parole officer's discretion. The conditions also require that Patterson have no contact with the victim's family and participate in mental health counseling.

Patterson's release from prison marks a significant development in the case, which has garnered attention from local activists and community groups who are advocating for voting rights for people behind bars.

Just another example of how some guys get a slap on the wrist after 16 yrs for murder.

I gotta say, this one's got me thinkin' about second chances . Corey Patterson spent 16 years of his life locked up for a mistake he made when he was young, and now he's gettin' another shot at life. I'm not sayin' what he did was okay, but it's clear that he's grown a lot since then. The fact that he earned a degree from Boston University shows he's dedicated himself to gettin' his life together.

It's also impressive that he's got community support and employment plans in place – that's the kind of thing we should all be strive for, whether we're behind bars or not . And let's give props to the Parole Board for makin' a tough decision and recognizin' Patterson's progress.

But here's the thing: 16 years is a long time to be locked up for one mistake. It's enough to make you wonder about the justice system, and whether we're doin' enough to help people get back on their feet. Maybe it's not just about givin' someone a second chance – maybe it's about askin' ourselves if our system is really designed to keep people safe, or just perpetuate more suffering .

just cant believe he got out 16 years is a looong time to be locked up and now hes just walking free... doesnt feel right to me the fact that he even got a degree from BU while in prison is wild, but who cares about education when someone's still got blood on their hands?

I don't know man... releasing someone who did that to another human being just feels off, you know? I get that Corey Patterson has been doing some good things like getting a degree and working on his mental health, but 16 years in the hole is still a long time. And it's not like he served half of it or anything. The conditions for his parole don't seem too harsh, but I'm just worried about what this says for people who have committed more serious crimes. Is this gonna create more problems than it solves? It's a tough one to call either way...

This decision raises so many questions about rehabilitation vs punishment. I mean, 16 years is a long time, but Corey Patterson has shown that he can change his ways and become a productive member of society. The fact that he's got a degree from BU is impressive, but what's even more telling is that he's been able to build a support system outside of prison walls. It makes you wonder if the real challenge was being inside in the first place.

On one hand, it's harsh to say that someone should be locked up for 16 years and then given another chance. But on the other hand, can't we afford to give people a second chance? What's the harm in letting him out and providing him with resources to stay on the straight and narrow?

It's also worth considering what our society is trying to achieve through prison reform. Is it just about getting people out of jail faster, or is it about giving them real opportunities to turn their lives around? Either way, this case has definitely given me some food for thought

omg i feel like this is such a complex issue ...i get that corey patterson has been trying to turn his life around and earn his parole but 16 yrs is a loooong time and some ppl might not think he's ready to be free again ...at the same time, giving him another chance shows us that we can't judge people based on their past mistakes ...i wish we could just focus on helping ppl get back on track and supporting them in their journey towards redemption ...anyway, i hope he gets to live his life now and make positive changes

just hope he doesn't mess it up 16 years is a long time, but some ppl can change their ways. glad he got his degree tho

I'm like totally against this decision ! 16 years is still way too long to be serving time for second-degree murder. I mean, Patterson's shown some growth in prison - he got a degree and all that - but stabbing someone to death outside a bar? That's a pretty serious crime. And now he's getting out with just six months of monitoring? It's like the system is saying "hey, we trust you" too quickly. What if he slips up? What if he hurts someone else? The fact that he worked with legislators on structural racism issues just means he's trying to play the victim card . I think he should have to serve a bit more time before he gets to live free again, you know?

I don't think this is a good idea at all ... I mean, Corey Patterson has been out of jail for like 12 years now and he's still not showing any real remorse for killing someone . He gets a life with parole just because he went to college and got his act together? That's just plain wrong in my opinion . And what really gets me is that the board even mentioned structural racism as one of the factors that led to his release ... like, isn't that just a fancy way of saying "he's still a bad person"? Anyway, I hope he doesn't screw up and expect everyone else to bail him out again .

man this is wild lol so some dude stabs a guy to death outside a bar and now he's out on parole after 16 yrs like what even is the criteria for getting paroled anymore? just seems like another case of them finding someone who's "sustained sobriety" and "accountability" but still gonna let 'em out meanwhile the victim's family gotta deal with all this trauma and pain and yeah voting rights for felons is a thing now too? just more stuff to add to the neverending list of messed up things in our society

omg, this is so sad i dont know if releasing him will bring closure to the fam of that poor guy who got stabbed at least he did some good things in prison like getting an education tho and helping out with community issues thats something! but its def gonna be hard for his family to see him walk free again hope he uses this second chance wisely

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[ GIF of a guy getting released from prison with a big "WOOHOO!" but then immediately getting caught again ]

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I'm actually kinda surprised by this decision. 16 years is a looong time to be stuck in the system, you feel? I get that he's shown some growth since then - earning a degree from BU, all that jazz - but can we really say he's fully paid his debt to society at this point? The conditions on his parole seem pretty reasonable, imo. Six months of electronic monitoring is probably just enough to keep him in check... but what about the victim's family? They've had to deal with all this trauma and grief for 16 years now - do they really get any closure from Patterson's release?

I'm not sure if this is a victory for rehabilitation or just a case of serving time being up . I mean, 16 years is a long sentence, but what about the victim's family? They've been through so much trauma and now they're going to have to deal with the fact that their loved one is free again? It's like, we're trying to give people second chances, but when does it end?

And don't even get me started on the conditions of his parole. Six months of electronic monitoring? That sounds like a lot of surveillance to me . And what about the voting rights thing? Is this just a case of trying to sway public opinion or is there actually a real push for reform here? I'm all for giving people a chance, but we need to think about the bigger picture and make sure that everyone's interests are being represented

It's like, let's focus on fixing the system that led us to this point instead of just releasing someone from prison . We need to talk about the root causes of crime and poverty and figure out how we can address those issues in a meaningful way