9/23/2022
Nearly 25 years after he killed three students and injured five more in a shooting at a McCracken County high school, Michael Carneal is being considered for parole this week. Carneal, 39, has been in prison for more than two decades after pleading guilty to three counts of murder and other charges, agreeing to serve life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
But in the time since his conviction, Carneal has attempted to have his guilty plea vacated, arguing he wasn’t mentally competent to plead guilty at the time. Those efforts weren’t successful, and Carneal has continued to wait in state prison for his parole eligibility date.
In testimony at his parole hearing Tuesday morning, Carneal said his the lead-up to the deadly shooting inside Heath High School began on Thursday, Nov. 27, 1997, when he went into a neighbor’s garage and stole firearms and ammunition out of the home. In addition, Carneal told parole board members he took a firearm from his father.
When he arrived at the school on Dec. 1, 1997, Carneal said he had one pistol in his backpack and multiple shotguns wrapped in a blanket. He told those who asked that the items concealed in the blanket were for “an English project,” which they accepted as an answer. “I got to the lobby and set them down, and stood around for a while and stood there and then went and got the gun out of the backpack and held it in front of me,” he said. “I don’t remember firing the gun or how many times I fired. The next thing I remember is people laying on the ground.”
Killed in the shooting were 14-year-old Nicole Hadley, 17-year-old Jessica James and 15-year-old Kayce Steger. Among those injured was Missy Jenkins Smith, who was paralyzed after she was shot by Carneal and uses a wheelchair. Other victims were Shelley Schaberg, Kelly Hard Alsip, Hollan Holm, and Craig Keene.
“Mr. Carneal’s inmate file states his mental health prognosis is ‘poor’ and he admits to continuing to hear voices,” Penque wrote. “These factors make it difficult for the Parole Board to grant parole while balancing public safety issues. The parole application was referred to the full parole board due to the initial two members not having reached a unanimous decision; this does not mean that one member voted in favor for parole.”
It could mean, Penque wrote, that there was a difference of opinion on when to allow further consideration of parole in the future.
“While I understand many in our community are concerned, I wanted to provide clarity as to how the system works and that prosecutors and mental health professionals are ensuring that all evidence is before the Board,” he wrote. “Again, I would ask that everyone respect the privacy of the members of our community.”
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