The New York State Parole Board granted Brian Britton parole on March 6, 2023, then rescinded that decision on May 31, 2023, after Dutchess County prosecutors submitted social media material they said showed he had not accepted responsibility for killing his father, mother, and younger brother in 1989. Britton remains incarcerated at Fishkill Correctional Facility. His next parole eligibility date was set for July 2025, and the research contains no public reporting on the outcome of any hearing on or after that date.1News 12. Parole Denied for Dutchess Man Who Killed His Parents, Next Hearing in 2025
The Crime and Sentence Behind the Parole Case
Britton was sixteen when he shot and killed his father Dennis, mother Marlene, and eight-year-old brother Jason at the family’s Poughkeepsie home on March 22, 1989. His eighteen-year-old sister, Sherry, was shot twice and survived.2News 12. Brian Britton’s Surviving Victim Calls Near-Release a Fiasco He pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder and received a single concurrent sentence of 25 years to life. That structure is what has made him parole-eligible; his surviving sister, now Sherry Shafer, has said publicly that she believes he should have received three consecutive 25-to-life terms plus additional time for the attempted murder.3Poughkeepsie Journal. Poughkeepsie Killer Brian Britton
The board denied him parole in November 2018 and again in November 2021, when it wrote that release would “depreciate the serious nature” of his crimes “as to undermine respect for the law.” Britton appealed the 2021 denial and was granted a de novo interview in early 2023.4Poughkeepsie Journal. Brian Britton Granted Parole, Poughkeepsie Family Killer
The March 2023 Grant of Parole
Following the de novo interview, the board granted Britton’s release on March 6, 2023, with an April 10 release date. New York’s Executive Law 259-I requires the board to weigh factors including criminal history, institutional record, reintegration potential, public safety risk, statements from victims and their families, and recommendations from prosecutors, the sentencing court, and the defense.4Poughkeepsie Journal. Brian Britton Granted Parole, Poughkeepsie Family Killer A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said the board declined to comment on the specific reasons for the grant.5USA Today. Poughkeepsie Family Killer Brian Britton Granted Parole
Prosecutors Move to Reverse the Decision
The Dutchess County District Attorney’s office, through Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Weishaupt, had already opposed release in a letter before the March 6 hearing. After parole was granted, Weishaupt said Britton had never directly expressed remorse and that Shafer, who still lives in the community, needed protection. “What set of facts did they use to parole him without any reflection of remorse?” he asked.6Yahoo News. Brian Britton Paroled After 33 Years
Within days, Weishaupt sent parole board chairman Darryl C. Towns a formal letter urging rescission, along with a thumb drive of social media material. Prosecutors said the material included Facebook messages from the account of Britton’s fiancée, Heather Britton, to Shafer, telling the surviving sister, “You should’ve played nice,” accusing her of being “complicit in the cycle of hurt,” and alleging she had participated in the crimes. Weishaupt argued the messages showed Britton “still refuses to acknowledge responsibility for his actions.”7Poughkeepsie Journal. Brian Britton Parole Hearing Should Be Reopened, Dutchess DA Says
The Rescission Hearing
The board suspended Britton’s April 10 release and ordered a rescission hearing. Under 9 N.Y.C.R.R. § 8002.5, a release date can be suspended when significant information not previously known to the board comes to light, and the panel must find “substantial evidence” to rescind. The inmate is entitled to written notice, counsel, and the right to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses.8Cornell Law Institute. 9 NYCRR 8002.5 – Rescission of Parole Release Date
The hearing took place on May 31, 2023. Prosecutors submitted what they called “a large volume of material on various social media sites” arguing Britton “had not been substantially rehabilitated” and showed “no evidence of rehabilitation or remorse.”9Poughkeepsie Journal. Brian Britton Poughkeepsie Parole Rescinded by State Parole Board They also cited what they described as “chilling interviews” between Britton and his fiancée in which he discussed the murders in a manner they characterized as victim-blaming.2News 12. Brian Britton’s Surviving Victim Calls Near-Release a Fiasco The board rescinded the grant and denied release. Weishaupt said Britton “is a high risk for re-offending” and that his office would continue to oppose any future release.
After the board officially denied parole, Shafer told News 12 in September 2023: “I’m relieved after the fiasco the past nine months and am grateful to the district attorney for getting the board to see the true Brian.”2News 12. Brian Britton’s Surviving Victim Calls Near-Release a Fiasco Heather Britton described the rescission on Facebook as “corrupt and cruel” and said Britton planned to appeal.10News 12. Brian Britton’s Surviving Victim Calls Near-Release a Fiasco Weishaupt stated at the time that Britton could not appeal the rescission decision.11News 12. Brian Britton’s Surviving Victim Calls Near-Release a Fiasco
Next Parole Eligibility
The board imposed a two-year hold after the September 2023 denial, making Britton eligible again in July 2025.1News 12. Parole Denied for Dutchess Man Who Killed His Parents, Next Hearing in 2025 That date has passed, but no publicly available reporting in the research documents the outcome of any subsequent hearing.