Parole denied for man convicted in 2005 kidnapping after victim opposition and questions about mental-health evaluation

BATON ROUGE — The Committee on Parole denied parole on Dec. 12 for John Matthew, who is serving a 30-year sentence for second-degree kidnapping, after hearing victim testimony and concerns from the prosecutor about whether Matthew had received appropriate mental-health evaluation and treatment while incarcerated.

The panel, empaneled in Baton Rouge and chaired by Miss LeDoux, heard from Matthew, his sister Lori Lavoie and Kerry Myers of the Louisiana Pearl Project, which offered transition services. Matthew told the board he has served about 20 years including parish time, has taken classes such as Thinking for a Change, and sought release to rebuild relationships with his children and grandchildren. "I'd love that opportunity, you know, to be a grandfather to them," Matthew said during the hearing.

Kerry Myers, representing the Louisiana Pearl Project, said Matthew had "served two thirds of his sentence already" and had "earned 735 days of CTPR credits," adding, "We don't believe that Mr. Matthews is any threat to public safety." His sister Lori Lavoie urged the board to allow Matthew to "lead a productive life" and said he is "a better man now than he was 20 years ago."

The hearing also included opposition from the victim, Terry Matthews, who told the panel that Matthew was "very manipulative" and "lies a lot," and from Assistant District Attorney Randall Meyer of Jefferson Parish, who said the prosecution opposed release. Meyer told the panel he was "concerned on whether he had remorse and accountability" and said he did not see a mental-health evaluation or treatment record in the file that he believes should be required for this type of domestic offense.

Prison officials described Matthew’s conduct in custody as improved. Deputy Warden Keith Bickham told the panel Matthew had no write-ups since 2018, had worked as a trustee and inmate counsel, and had taken on mentoring roles. Bickham also said the facility will begin a "domestic abuse impact program" that Matthew could enter; he said the program would last about seven months.

Panel members questioned Matthew about the July 2005 incident and subsequent disciplinary history, including a 2012 in-custody charge that involved throwing a book and striking an officer. Panelists discussed whether Matthew would participate in a domestic-violence intervention program and whether supervised contact with family members would be appropriate if release were granted.

When the panel voted, one member announced a vote to grant parole with conditions — placement in the Louisiana Parole Project and then relocation to Florida — but Miss Stapleton said her vote was to deny "based upon the violent nature of the crime" and because of victim and law-enforcement opposition. Chair Miss LeDoux said she would place strong stipulations but announced the board's decision: "But today your, parole has been denied." The tally was one vote in favor and two against.

Matthew is serving a 30-year sentence for second-degree kidnapping, with a parole eligibility date of July 18, 2025. The hearing record lists his DOC number as 510-990. The panel said conditions that could have been imposed included completion of domestic-abuse education and participation in the Pearl Project; those conditions were discussed but not adopted because the panel denied parole.

The panel concluded the hearing and signed off at 9:29 a.m.