Convicted murderer in 1987 case gets parole

article

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - A Minnesota man will walk free after being locked up for murder over the last 30 years.

The victim’s family fought hard against his release, but a judge has made up his mind and it's not the decision they were hoping for.

Mark Alton will begin work release within the next sixty days and he'll be released in Sept. 2017.

Alton was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's fiancée, Rob Carley, back in 1987. Alton was upset they were getting married, and found a wedding invitation at the murder scene and mailed it to his ex, writing on it: "You took away my future, now I took yours."

Fox 9 spoke with the victim's sister shortly after the decision was made this afternoon.

“I'm sick about it,” said Cynthia Carley, Rob’s sister. “I'm very, very frustrated with the system. I feel that victim’s rights are strictly perfunctory formality. This in my opinion was definitely a forgone conclusion.”

Alton will be freed after spending about 30 years behind bars. He was eligible for parole after serving 17 years.

He'll be under intensive supervised release, including house arrest and electronic monitoring.