Man paroled after serving 33 years for triple murder, had 96 disciplinary tickets while incarcerated

When 50-year-old Ronnie Hinton came before a three-member panel of the state Board of Pardons and Paroles in 2023, he had already served 33 years in prison for the murders of three people with a sawed-off shotgun in 1989. Hinton demonstrated remorse, told the panel about how he had learned to cope with his anger issues and about his future plans to get married and have a family, perhaps serve as a mentor. His public defender said Hinton has tried to shed his street persona — Hinton's nickname is "Rugged" — and taken to crocheting small animals, practicing yoga, reading and making people laugh as a way to deescalate stressful situations. "I made a terrible mistake and I would do anything to take that day back," Hinton told the panel during the more than hourlong interview on June 5, 2023. The shooting had occurred on Oct. 13, 1989, when Hinton was 17. Hinton, however, had amassed 96 disciplinary tickets during his time behind bars — some for fighting — and was deemed to be a "moderate" risk to re-offend if released, documents released by the state Board of Pardons and Paroles show. Hinton was granted parole by a 2-to-1 vote by the board that day. The panel included Michael Pohl, Nancy Turner and Stephen Dargan, the latter of whom voted against parole. Dargan said he didn't think Hinton should be released and should reapply at a later date. Turner said while Hinton's behavior in prison was concerning, she thought he was transparent in his explanations and goals and a support system was waiting for him outside prison. "I think he's got the insights into the choices he's made both that brought him to prison and while he's been inside to regulate and inform his decision making and his emotional responses," Turner said during the parole hearing. "I think he's ready for the challenge of reintegration and I would add acclimation as well because it's a whole different world than when he went in as a 17-year-old. That to me really is the point of the legislation that brings him before us today." Less than two years later, on March 14 of this year, Hinton was back behind bars following his arrest in Norwich in connection with two separate assaults. In an Oct. 19, 2024, incident, police charged Hinton with home invasion, second-degree assault and second-degree kidnapping after police said he attacked two people when he found out he was given a counterfeit $100 in exchange for crack cocaine. He faces additional charges for another incident on Feb. 24 when police said Hinton slashed a man with a box cutter during a fight over missing clothing. Hinton made his first court appearance last week in New London's Part A court, where serious felonies are heard. He remains held in lieu of $1.5 million in combined bonds. The decision to free Hinton, who was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole before laws changed to allow freedom for those who committed crimes prior to age 18, was immediately criticized by a group of Republican state senators. Sens. Heather Somers, Paul Cicarella and Stephen Harding issued a statement after Hinton's arrest calling on Gov. Ned Lamont to review the decision. In a joint statement, the senators called the decision "another high profile failure by the state Board of Pardons and Paroles." "Two years ago, Republicans and victims' families raised the alarm about the spike in commutations of convicted murderers' prison sentences. Because Republicans spoke out, Gov. Lamont put commutations on pause and reforms were made," their statement reads. "In this case, we see a board member learning that this triple murderer had not been rehabilitated in prison yet still voted to grant him parole?" "We all believe in parole and rehabilitation. But we also believe that there has to be a certain amount of time served," the statement reads. Convicted of murder Hinton was convicted by a jury in 1991 of three counts of murder, one count of capital murder and one count of attempted murder for firing a shotgun at a group of youths during what police described as a gang-related confrontation in Hartford. His victims ranged in age from 15 to 18. At the time Hinton was convicted, state law mandated that anyone convicted of a capital murder be sentenced to either life in prison without the possibility of parole or be put to death. Capital murders, under state law at the time, included the murder of a police officer, murder for hire, a murder committed during the commission of rape or kidnapping and a murder with multiple victims. Hinton was spared the possibility of the death penalty because of his young age. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that life sentences for juveniles were unconstitutional and forced states to change their laws. At the time of that ruling, Mike Lawlor was serving as the criminal justice adviser for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Lawlor said the ruling was centered on the position that a life sentence was considered cruel and unusual punishment and took into consideration a better understanding of adolescent brain development. "(The Supreme Court) required every state to go back and reconsider those sentences," Lawlor said. "In Connecticut, the legislature figured the best way to do that was have the parole board do it." The Connecticut legislature changed state law by 2015 to retroactively eliminate life without the possibility of parole as a sentence for juveniles. Because Hinton was serving a sentence of more than 50 years, the statute provided for parole eligibility after he served 30 years. Lawlor, now associate professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven, said he doesn't excuse Hinton's behavior or past crimes but said the parole board was within its right to consider Hinton's release. "You have to contrast (Hinton's case) with the vast majority of people who are able to benefit from this statute that didn't re-offend," Lawlor said. "There are going to be some failures. It's inevitable this is going to happen once in a while." Lawlor said that the Board of Pardons and Paroles is just one part of a larger criminal justice system that has discretion. Prosecutors may offer plea bargains to end cases short of trial, and judges have leeway on what sentence to impose, he said. During his 2023 hearing before the Board of Pardons and Paroles, public defender Erica Barner said Hinton's early upbringing was a heartbreaking story of severe domestic violence and abuse by his father. "He was conditioned really by his father to believe all of the good and decent things about him, his compassion and his sensitivity and caring for others, … he was taught that these are signs of weakness," Barner said. "I can't imagine what it feels like to be awoken in the middle of the night to be beaten." "Ronnie took somewhat of a predictable path," she said. Hinton attempted to explain to the three-member panel what was going on at the time of the murders. Police said Hinton was dealing drugs and was a gang member who ambushed his victims. "Back then, I was numb to what I did. I only thought about surviving from day to day," Hinton said. "I had learned it was better to get caught by police with a gun then get caught by the enemy without it." But through programs he attended while in prison, Hinton said he " learned to recognize triggers and avoid being provoked." Hinton said that if released, he would at some point look to move to North Carolina to be closer to family, continue studies in psychology and social work and be a mentor to help others avoid the position he put himself in. "I can show others you do not have to allow your past to define you," he said. A spokeswoman for the Board of Pardons and Paroles said board members were not available to the comment on their decision. g.smith@theday.com