A man who has spent too many years behind bars, has refused to accept a chance to find temporary relief from jail.
Joseph Ligon
Joseph Ligon is a 79-year-old murderer who has spent 63 years in prison in Philadelphia.
Ligon has been in prison since the age of 15 – and is believed to be the oldest ‘juvenile lifer’ in the world.
However, the old man stunned people recently when he turned down the chance of being released on parole.
According to Metro UK, Ligon claims he should be freed outright instead. He says he did not commit the two murders for which he has served 63 years – and says he should be released outright, instead of going before the parole board.
Ligon was illiterate and part of a gang of boys who went on the rampage in 1953, stabbing eight people – Ligon says he stabbed a man, but not one of the two who died.
Joseph Ligon in 2015
But he was persuaded to plead guilty to murder, and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in January that juveniles sentenced to life in prison should have the possibility of parole.
Bradley Bridge of the Defender Association of Philadelphia told a court, ‘His view is: He’s been in long enough.
‘He doesn’t want to be on probation or parole. He just wants to be released.’