In a swift legal action that underscores the gravity of his crimes, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has launched an emergency appeal to halt the parole of convicted rapist William Lamont Bonds. This appeal, filed in the 30th Circuit Court in Ingham County, targets the Parole Board's decision to allow Bonds' release from Carson City Correctional Facility on February 20, 2025. The Attorney General's office argues that the parole decision is dangerously misguided given Bonds' history and recent conduct.
Back in the early '90s, Bonds was convicted of heinous acts, including the gunpoint rape of one victim, for which he received a 30 to 45-year sentence. He secured an additional 25 to 45 years for a separate incident of rape. In 2024, the Parole Board granted him a 24-month parole, according to a statement cited by the Michigan Department of Attorney General. This move has now attracted scrutiny after Attorney General Nessel underscored the clear abuse of the Board’s discretion in her emergency appeal.
Bonds' criminal tendencies are long-established, with convictions from 1986, including larceny and breaking. In a pre-sentencing report from 1994, a "serious threat to women in the community" was Bonds, according to the Michigan Department of Attorney General press release, also suggested lengthy incarceration based on his demonstrated lack of understanding of the gravity of his offenses. Despite nearly a hundred misconduct tickets while imprisoned, including threats against a female nurse and staff, Bonds was paroled in 2023—only to be discharged for noncompliance from a required sexual abuse prevention program.
"Mr. Bonds is not a suitable candidate for parole, and the Parole Board decision to grant him parole again is both puzzling and dangerous," Nessel said, describing the overwhelming facts and the case circumstances. According to the State of Michigan, the Attorney General points to Bonds' continued minimization of his crimes and problematic behavior post-incarceration to argue against the Board’s decision. She insists Bonds should remain behind bars for community safety.
