David McClary, the man convicted for the 1988 murder of NYPD Officer Edward Byrne, is up for parole this month, having served 36 years of a life sentence. Byrne was slain while protecting a witness's home from drug gangs, as ABC 7NY reported.
US Attorney John Durham has taken a firm stance against McClary's release, describing his crime as embodying the "worst of the worst" due to the brutal nature of the killing where Byrne was ambushed and shot five times in the head while on duty, McClary has served beyond the 25-year minimum sentence but his bid for parole is met with significant opposition from law enforcement and the victim's family, aligning with concerns that his justifications for release—time served, participation in prison programs, and good behavior—are insufficient when weighed against the gravity of his actions, this according to a recent article by the New York Post.
Byrne was only 22 when he was murdered, sitting in his vehicle at the intersection of Inwood Street and 107th Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, his assignment was to guard the home of a witness set to testify against drug dealers; in a turn of events, officer Byrne became a target himself, resulting in his death, which is still remembered with an annual memorial at the location of the incident, as per coverage from ABC 7NY.
In a letter to the parole board, Durham stated that McClary's release arguments are "self-serving and hollow," adding that the offender has "never demonstrated any genuine remorse" for the murder, and although 43 cop-killers have been released since 2017 following changes to parole guidelines, Byrne's brother, Kenneth, firmly states that McClary should remain in prison, saying "I don’t care what alleged accomplishments he has in prison," this sentiment shared in an interview with the New York Post.
McClary is currently held at Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo. His parole hearing, though not officially scheduled, is anticipated to take place this month. The parole board has not provided a comment, and the outcome of the case remains pending.
