On April 7, 2026, the Massachusetts Parole Board voted to release Patrick Grier, convicted in the 2008 Dorchester killing of a teenager, a move that has renewed debate in Dorchester neighborhoods over accountability, rehabilitation and public safety. Grier was 20 at the time of the Codman Square shooting and was originally sentenced to life without the possibility of parole before changes in state law and court rulings required new sentences for so‑called "emerging adults."
Parole board vote and case details
According to the board's Record of Decision, Grier was resentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 15 years. Board members wrote that he had "presented with insight into the causative factors that led to his gang affiliation and offending behavior." As reported by Boston Herald, Grier was convicted in 2010 of first‑degree murder for the November 30, 2008 point‑blank shooting of 16‑year‑old De'andre Barboza. The Herald reported that police recovered a .22‑caliber revolver at the scene and that samples tested positive for gunshot residue.
How the hearing played out
Public calendars from the Parole Board show that Grier had an initial life‑sentence hearing in December 2025 as part of a wave of resentencings prompted by the Supreme Judicial Court's ruling on emerging adults. The board's Life Sentence Unit prepares case summaries, risk‑and‑needs assessments and coordinates testimony from victims and community members before the full board deliberates. As outlined on Mass.gov, these hearings are open to the public, and the board issues a written Record of Decision after it votes.
Why Mattis reshaped these cases
In 2024 the Supreme Judicial Court ruled in Commonwealth v. Mattis that mandatory life without parole for emerging adults, defined as defendants aged 18 to 20 at the time of their offense, violates the state constitution. That decision required resentencing in affected cases and opened parole and resentencing avenues for people who had been serving life without parole, changing how the Parole Board reviews long‑term sentences. See the court's opinion in Commonwealth v. Mattis on Justia for the legal analysis and remedy.
The victim and local reaction
De'andre Barboza, 16 at the time of the shooting, was taken to Boston Medical Center after the November 2008 attack and later died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to reporting. Prosecutors told the Parole Board that the killing grew out of an ongoing feud, and the board cited Grier's institutional record and educational achievements in its decision. Local advocates and family members have previously told reporters they expect the legal process to include notice and opportunities to be heard, as detailed by Boston Herald.
What comes next
When the Parole Board grants release it issues a Record of Decision explaining the vote and listing specific supervision conditions, and victims and prosecutors are notified as part of that process. If Grier is released, he will be supervised by parole authorities and must follow those conditions, which, if violated, can lead to revocation and a return to custody. As noted on Mass.gov, life‑sentence hearings include testimony from people both supporting and opposing release, and the board may set future review dates if parole is denied.
Legal implications
The Mattis ruling does not guarantee parole. It requires that the state provide an opportunity for parole review that takes into account maturity, rehabilitation and the circumstances of the crime. Legal commentators say that resentencing and parole reviews for emerging adults are likely to keep generating contested hearings and potential court challenges as prosecutors and victims' families push for close scrutiny of each case under the Supreme Judicial Court's framework; see the discussion of Commonwealth v. Mattis on Justia for more.
