Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz is pressing the Massachusetts Parole Board to keep a Brockton man behind bars, urging members on Tuesday to deny parole to the inmate convicted of fatally shooting his parents and 11-year-old sister back in 1993. The prisoner, who now goes by Kuluwn Asar and was convicted under the name Gerard McCra III, is scheduled for another life-sentence review this week.
Parole hearing scheduled this week
The Parole Board's May 2026 life-sentence hearing calendar lists a review for Kuluwn Asar III on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at the board's central office in Natick. According to the Massachusetts Parole Board, life-sentence unit hearings are open to the public and held in person at 12 Mercer Road in Natick.
The 1993 killings and conviction
On Oct. 9, 1993, then-15-year-old Gerard McCra allegedly shot his mother inside the family home, then killed his father and 11-year-old sister in the family car, according to authorities. A Plymouth County jury convicted him in 1995, and he received three concurrent life terms without the possibility of parole, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office.
DA: 'savagely executed' and no remorse
District Attorney Cruz said Asar "savagely executed his entire family back in 1993" and has not shown remorse for the killings, according to the DA's office. Cruz, who has opposed Asar's release at earlier hearings, told the Boston Herald that he plans to testify against granting parole at this week's review.
Why he's eligible - and past denials
Asar became eligible for parole after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in 2013 that juveniles cannot be sentenced to life without parole, a decision that forced reviews of several 1990s juvenile life sentences, according to WBUR. The Parole Board unanimously denied his release in October 2024 and issued a written Record of Decision keeping him in custody; that decision is included in the board's published life-sentence Records of Decision on Mass.gov.
What the board considers
The Parole Board evaluates whether release is "compatible with the welfare of society," weighing the original offense, an inmate's institutional programming, disciplinary record, and any statements from prosecutors or victims. State high-court guidance requires the board to factor in youthful characteristics and rehabilitation for offenders who were juveniles at the time of their crimes, according to reporting on the court's 2013 decision.
Next steps
The board will issue a written decision after the hearing, which will be posted under its life-sentence Records of Decision if and when it is released. In the meantime, prosecutors, relatives, and community members are expected to attend Wednesday's session as the state weighs whether Asar remains too dangerous to return to society.
