Woman lobbies parole board against 'thrill' killer

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- A woman who lobbied the parole board to review their decision of releasing a convicted killer from prison early, said she is relieved.

"This was a horrific crime. These two men were monsters and to think he was going to be released early," said Carolyn Medeiros with the Alliance for Safe Communities.

The state parole board backed off its decision to grant early release to Alfred Brissette after a series of reports by Target 12 this week. Brissette was convicted of killing a Woonsocket woman for the fun of it.

Now, the state parole board will review the case again.

Alfred Brissette and Marc Girard were convicted in the 1999 murder of Jeannette Descoteaux. Police say the two men lured the 38-year-old Woonsocket woman to George Washington Park with the promise of drugs.

Descoteaux ran from her attackers naked through the woods. But, they caught up with her and beat her to death.

Still, the parole board voted earlier this month to release Brissette from the ACI after serving only 13 years of a 35  year sentence.

The Target 12 Investigators uncovered in addition to being granted parole, Brissette earned more than 1,600 days of time off his sentence for good behavior.

In a letter to the judge, Brissette included a stack or certificates he received in prison for completing educational and spiritual course. One of them was for completing a “Way to Happiness” course and an art class – which was awarded on the fifth anniversary of Descoteaux’s murder.

• Read Brissette's letter to the judge

"There was no good time for her mother after she lost her daughter. And for all families that I work with and all the victims who don't have a voice after, there was no good time for them," said Medeiros.

Medeiros says the parole board will be meeting to reconsider Brissette's case on December 17.