PERRY TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The Ohio Parole Board has decided to release a man who shot and killed his ex-girlfriend in front of her child in 1980.
In a 5-3 vote Tuesday, the board voted to parole Lincoln Mabry, 83, who murdered Becky Kerr. He served about 45 years in prison for the crime.
"It's unfathomable to think that they think that he served enough time for what he did," said Becky's sister, Christine Kerr. "Never would we have thought it would have been a possibility that they would grant him parole."
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Christine and her sibling, Elizabeth Kerr, have no choice but to hold onto precious photos and rely on stories from other relatives in order to keep the memory of Becky alive.
"My family always said that her and I look alike, so I always wonder what she would look like now," Elizabeth said while fighting back tears.
Christine was only 4 years old, and Elizabeth was not quite 2 years old when Becky was murdered.
"The biggest thing that we know about her is her murder because of how much it was talked about," Christine said.
In February of 1980, Mabry followed Becky from her job to the home of the family's babysitter.
Mabry forced Becky and her 8-year-old daughter, Melissa, into Becky's car and abducted them.
Becky drove to a gas station near the intersection of Perry Drive Southwest and Southway Street Southwest in Perry Township. She jumped out of the car, but Mabry opened fire.
"He shot her. He emptied the gun and then he reloaded it and continued to shoot her to make sure that she was dead," Elizabeth said.
Melissa was not hurt physically, but in a 2022 interview with News 5, she said she remembered everything about witnessing her mom's murder.
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"Every second, I can close my eyes and see it all replay. That's never gone away," Melissa said.
The Ohio Parole Board most recently denied parole to Mabry in 2017 and 2022. However, in the summer of 2024, the board recommended his release.
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The board's report stated, "The board finds incarcerated adult Mabry Jr. has served a sufficient portion of his (life) sentenced, has completed programming to abate his risk to re-offend and has a supportive release plan, thereby rendering him suitable for release onto parole supervision at this time."
Becky's family appealed the recommendation leading to the Tuesday hearing in Columbus that lasted about 90 minutes.
Board members first heard from Samuel Usmani, an attorney from the Ohio Public Defender's Office, who said Mabry can become a law-abiding citizen now.
"During his incarceration, Mr. Mabry has had no disciplinary actions. He has bettered himself by addressing his substance abuse and mental health issues," Usmani said.
Mabry's sister also spoke to the board and said her brother has changed.
"He's managed to calm down on everything. He hasn't had any run-ins," she said.
But Becky's family, who gathered more than 3,000 signatures to fight against Mabry's release, told the board that he didn't deserve freedom.
Christine and Elizabeth shared similar feelings with a News 5 crew before the hearing.
"I don't think age changes who you are— the amount of time that he's been there. I think that what he did deserved a life sentence," Elizabeth said.
The family also stressed they have never received an apology from Mabry.
"He killed my sister. He chose to make that decision to kill my sister. It wasn't an oops. It was very deliberate," Christine said.
The Kerr family said since the murder they have spent a lot of time volunteering and raising money for domestic violence organizations and they will continue to do so.
"There's not a day that Becky is not in all of our minds or thoughts or memories," Christine said. "It's something that we never stop thinking about. It's with us every single day."
The Ohio Parole Board did not indicate the date that Mabry will be released from prison.
