One of the two men found guilty of murdering basketball legend Michael Jordan's father in 1993, and sentenced to life imprisonment, will get parole around three years later, in 2023. Larry Demery, who along with Daniel Green, fatally attacked James Jordan on July 23, 1993, on a highway in North Carolina, becomes eligible for parole in October of next year.
However, the date chosen for him to walk free out of jail is August 6, 2023. This, of course, depends on him remaining in the good books of the jail authorities by conducting himself properly. Demery was just under 18 years of age when he committed the criminal act. Both he and his partner in crime claimed that the actual act of murder was committed by the other person.
Green, who is also serving a life sentence, in fact, claimed that he wasn't even present when James Jordan was shot dead. He stated that he was asked by his friend to dispose off the dead body of the victim after the murder had taken place. However, it was Demery who entered a plea deal with the authorities and testified against Green. Both men were found guilty of first-degree murder.
Fallout of murder
Demery is a very lucky man that he is getting released from jail. As per the laws of the state, those convicted of crimes committed October 1, 1994, onwards cannot be granted parole. Because the murder was committed before that date, parole is possible and Demery has been found eligible for it by the North Carolina Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission.
The death of James Jordan had a massive effect on his superstar son. Michael Jordan was known to be very close to his father. The retirement of the NBA legend came soon after the incident, something many have surmised to be a direct fallout of the tragedy.
The tragedy
On that fateful day, James Jordan had parked his car on the side of a highway while returning from Wilmington to his home town of Charlotte. He was taking a nap in a Lexus car that Michael had gifted him. The 56-year old was shot by the culprits and his body was disposed off across the border in South Carolina.
It was in that province that a dead body was found in a swamp of McColl which was in a state where it couldn't be identified. It was suspected to be of James only after the car was found abandoned and the jaw and hands of the dead body were used to positively identify the victim. The police arrested the culprits after investigation and they were given life sentences in 1996.
