KS - Rev. Thomas Bird paroled in wife's 1983 murder

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This is a case from Kansas.

“A former minister who killed his wife and solicited the murder of the husband of his church secretary will be a free man soon.
Thomas Bird was granted parole after serving 20 years of a life sentence for killing his wife, Sandy, in 1983 while having an affair with his secretary, Lorna Anderson.
Bird hadn't been scheduled for a parole hearing until December, but the parole board approved a special request to see him Monday after three public comment sessions last month in Topeka.
He was convicted in 1984 of solicitation of first-degree murder for trying to get someone to kill Anderson's husband, Martin Anderson. A year later, he was convicted of first-degree murder in his wife's death.
Bird was acquitted in 1990 of the first-degree murder of Martin Anderson.
In July 1983, Bird killed his wife, pushed her car over an embankment of a river near Emporia, then placed her body in the car, authorities said.
Bird's story was the focus of a 1987 television miniseries, "Murder Ordained," and a book published in 2000 titled "Caged Bird," which maintained his innocence.”

Kathy Bates, John Goodman, Keith Carradine and Jobeth Williams starred in the tv movie, which airs frequently on Lifetime.

Lorna is still in prison but up for parole next year. Life doesn't mean life.
 
Life only means life in prison when the sentence handed down also stipulates "without possibility of parole"

I didn't realize that the Bird sentence did not include that.
 

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