The law can be a frustrating thing. The United States is full of outdated and bizarre local laws. It is illegal to run out gas in Youngstown, Ohio. We are sure there are other strange laws. An obscure Mississippi state law allows a prisoner to be kept behind bars indefinitely.

Frederick Bell has spent 31 years behind bars

Frederick Bell, 19, entered a convenience shop in Grenada County with a loaded.22 caliber pistol. Anthony Doss, his friend, was also planning to rob the establishment. Although it is not clear when or why things went south, Bell shot Bert Bell, a 21-year-old cashier (no relation to the perpetrator), nine times. He fled with a pistol of.38 caliber, a box filled with bullets and cash.

Bell fled the scene along with three others. Bell and three other men made their escape to Memphis, Tennessee where they decided to rob another store. Bell shot Tommy White (20-year-old cashier) in the process. They were finally arrested at a Memphis home. After two years of due diligence, Bell was found guilty of capital murder. He would be executed.

RELATED How decks of playing cards are helping investigators solve cold cases across the country

Bell's legal team appealed repeatedly to his death sentence for 20 years, sending him for numerous evaluations. The state reduced Bell's sentence from life imprisonment to life because of his mental condition. Bell was finally released after only two years. The parole board finally authorized Bell's release from prison in August.

In a statement, Chairman Jeffery Belk stated that Bell had been "rehabilitated" and that parole supervision would be more beneficial than further imprisonment. This decision was not taken lightly. There is some confusion about why Bell remains behind bars. It turns out that Bell's release was delayed indefinitely by a Mississippi law.

Frederick Bell's Release Delay by Red Tape

Mississippi law requires that a local newspaper must publish a notice of parole within two weeks of the offense to release an inmate who has been convicted of a capital criminal. According to our research, Mississippi appears to be the only state that has a law of this type. Although it isn't widely known, Mississippi still adheres to the law.

This practice is in place so that the community can provide input to the parole board's decisions. According to the Official Mississippi State Parole Board Policies and Procedures, the board considers "community opposition" when determining whether an inmate is eligible for release.

The law says that a prisoner convicted of a capital crime shall not be considered (initially), for parole until notice regarding his/her possible parole has been published at least once per week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the county in which the crime occurred."

Bell has not been able to move forward with this process. Even though Bell was released in August, the Grenada star still has not run his parole notice. Adam Prestridge (paper's publisher) said to Vice News he has not received any communication from the parole board. There is nothing he can do until the board gives his paper its go-ahead.

Frederick Bell's Future Is Uncertain

Sen. Angela Hill stated that she was informed of the holdup by a local radio station. Hill stated that she confirmed that the notice had not been published in the local newspaper where the murder took place, as required. "We reached out to the Attorney General's Office. The Attorney General's Office informed us that she had contacted parole board. She also indicated that he would not be released until proper notification was given to the community.

RELATED From Gacy to Epstein to Chinatown: This Podcast Retrieves Horror Stories From The Dead

Although it is not clear why the parole board hasn’t taken action with the newspaper notice notice, it is likely that Bell will be released sooner if it continues to wait. It would run on the Wednesday immediately following receipt of information by the deadline of Friday at 5 p.m. It would run for two weeks consecutively, 30 days before his release," Prestridge explained to Vice.

Even if the board does send notice, the community judgment is still a hurdle. Bell's release has been met with strong community opposition. Both the victims' families as well as state workers have voiced their disapproval at Bell's parole board decision. The only thing that has impeded the floodgates opening is the delay in publishing the case. It is likely that the parole board will be forced to reconsider its original decision once it opens up the channels for community input.

More from Suggest

• Katie Couric writes a brave essay about her experience with breast cancer
• This Future First Lady Was a Reporter at Queen Elizabeth's 1952 Coronation/Why Jackie Kennedy was At Queen Elizabeth’s 1952 Coronation
• Maria Shriver Reflects on Losing her Mother and Why Aging is a 'Gift.

-----------------------------------

By: Ariel Gordon
Title: After 31 Years In Prison, A Convicted Murderer Was Granted Parole, But A Newspaper Posting Is Keeping Him Behind Bars
Sourced From: www.suggest.com/after-31-years-in-prison-a-convicted-murderer-was-granted-parole-but-a-newspaper-posting-is-keeping-him-behind-bars/2679401/
Published Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2022 20:00:00 +0000

Read More