After controversy, parole grant in officer’s slaying delayed

By SARAH RANKIN and DENISE LAVOIE Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — State officials say the expected release of a man convicted in the 1979 killing of a Richmond police officer has been put on hold amid an investigation by Virginia’s government watchdog agency into the parole board’s handling of the inmate’s case. Vincent Martin remained in custody Monday. He’s serving a life sentence for the death of patrolman Michael P. Connors. The Office of the State Inspector General will look into the board’s decision-making process. The decision to grant Martin parole has sparked an uproar in the law enforcement community, and both Connors’ family and Richmond’s top prosecutor have asked the board to rescind its decision.