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Parole denied for Lee Angell after panel cites lack of remorse and victim concerns
Summary
The Louisiana Committee on Parole denied parole for Lee Jules Angell, convicted of multiple violent felonies, citing minimal remorse and opposition from prosecutors and the Attorney General's office.
BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Committee on Parole denied parole Sept. 18 for Lee Jules Angell (DOC 240608), a first-class felony offender convicted of forcible sex offenses, second-degree kidnapping and armed robbery, after a hearing at DOC headquarters with remote participation from Raymond Laborde Correctional Center. Chair Carolyn Stapleton announced the panel's decision, which was unanimous. "My vote is gonna be to deny," Stapleton said, and the board recorded three denials.
The panel said Angell's remarks and pre-application minimized his responsibility. Assistant District Attorney Claire Haddington told the panel she believed Angell had not accepted that his choices — not drugs or other factors — caused the crimes, and that lack of accountability made him not ready for release. Joseph LeBeau of the Louisiana Attorney General's Office added that the victim had reported threats by Angell and that release could re-traumatize the victim.
Angell spoke in the hearing and described his conduct, saying he had been around "bad people" and that he "just lost [his] mind" the night of the offenses; he also said he later felt remorse. Family members and supporters, including Katrina Collette, spoke in favor of his release, stressing sobriety, coursework, and religious engagement. The panel weighed those statements against the nature of the offenses and prosecutorial opposition.
The panel recorded Angell's eligibility and term dates into the record: parole eligibility none, good time date Sept. 5, 2044, and full-term date May 22, 2070; the panel also noted a "poor old eligibility" date of Aug. 1, 2021 as read into the record. The board distinguished discussion (supporter testimony and Angell's account), direction (panel questions and requests for clarification), and a formal action: the unanimous denial of parole.
Panel members present were Chair Carolyn Stapleton and Commissioners Chuck Chillis and Jerry LeDoux. The hearing included staff and the Raymond Laborde facility warden, Brent Thompson. The panel announced the formal denial at 09:30 a.m. and closed the item without directing further study or conditional release.
