Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has voiced her strong stance against the parole of Jose Colon, convicted for the murder of State Trooper George L. Hanna. In a formal opposition submitted ahead of Colon's upcoming parole hearing, Healey highlighted the lasting impact of the crime on the trooper's family and the broader law enforcement community. This turn of events comes following a change in state law that has made Colon eligible for parole consideration.
In her letter to the Massachusetts Parole Board, which was made public Wednesday, Healey wrote, "Trooper Hanna's family has continued to honor his legacy in a deeply tangible way. His daughters, Deborah and Kimberly, still present the awards in his name, keeping their father's memory central to the Commonwealth's recognition of courage and dedication in law enforcement. For the past 10 years, I have personally sat with Deborah and Kimberly at the Hanna Award ceremony and have witnessed the pain they continue to endure because of their father's brutal murder." The Governor, who has been present at the Hanna ceremony for ten years, shared her observations of the daughters' enduring pain. Her letter underscored the significance of upholding the legacy of Trooper Hanna within the Massachusetts law enforcement community, as mentioned in the press release.
The annual Hanna Award ceremony commemorates the valor of Trooper Hanna, whose name has become a symbol of honor among Massachusetts’ law enforcement officers. The event also serves to acknowledge the sacrifices made by officers in the line of duty.
As the parole board navigates this decision, Governor Healey's correspondence asks for careful deliberation of the case, reflecting on the ongoing grief of the victim's family and the crime's reverberations throughout the state. According to the official release, she emphasized, “Massachusetts rightly holds Trooper Hanna's name as a symbol of honor and valor. Releasing the individual who fired the shots that killed Trooper Hanna would diminish the meaning of the very legacy we continue to uphold and would send a dangerous signal that deliberate killing of a police officer is anything less than the most heinous of crimes.”
The parole hearing is set to take place on Thursday, and the board will be reviewing Colon's case in light of the governor's request and public sentiment. The full content of Governor Healey's letter to the parole board — a document that could influence the outcomes of Thursday's hearing — is available for the public to review on the state's website.
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