75-year-old with robbery, abduction and 1986 rape convictions granted parole

The Virginia Parole Board has granted parole to Dennis Rodney Harold, who was convicted of abduction, rape and sodomy, with earlier robbery and abduction convictions in Richmond, according to the board's August 2026 decisions report.

The board's August report lists Harold, 75, the oldest person granted parole this month, under "Dual Eligibility"; the minutes say he was considered for geriatric conditional release. The decision was recorded Aug. 28 and certified Aug. 31. His most serious sentences come from Richmond Circuit Court judgments in September 1986: 50 years for abduction, 10 years for rape, 10 years for sodomy and, in a separate judgment, four years for abduction. The report estimates he has served 49 years, 6 months and 11 days, the longest of anyone granted in August.

This newsroom did not find contemporaneous news coverage or a court opinion describing the facts of the 1986 Richmond case or the earlier Norfolk cases. The account here is limited to the board's record. The victim is not named, consistent with this publication's policy on sexual offenses.

Prior and repeat offenses: Harold's record shows a long run of earlier convictions. Norfolk Circuit Court judgments list robbery in November 1971; abduction and robbery in January 1972; and abduction, robbery and attempted kidnapping in October 1974, with sentences of five to 25 years. A Richmond Circuit Court judgment from May 1975 lists a recidivist conviction. The board's record does not explain how the 1986 offenses relate to the time he was serving on the earlier sentences.

The board's stated reasons: The board's listed reasons were clear acceptance of responsibility, the prosecuting attorney's support for release, a low risk-assessment score, demonstrated rehabilitation, participation in correctional and vocational programs, a severe long-term disability that limits daily functioning, a medical condition, insight into the factors behind his crimes and infraction-free conduct.

According to the Aug. 27 minutes, the board's Victim Services Team reported that the victim "is unable to form a position regarding parole" but "would be fearful if they encountered Mr. Harold in the community." The vote was 5-0. Chair Shannon Dion cited "the support of two Commonwealth's Attorneys." Members described his infraction-free record differently: one said 24 years, another said since 2022. (The August PDF's vote table lists Vice Chair Brothers Hayes twice and omits Board Member Boykin; the minutes show all five voting to grant.)

How the decision was made: At the Aug. 27 meeting, held in person and electronically at the board's offices on Atmore Drive in Richmond, each candidate addressed the board by video after a summary of victim input, and Chair Shannon Dion then called on each member to vote and state reasons, according to the approved minutes. The board approved those minutes on Sept. 10. The August report notes that the offenses it lists include all offenses for which a person has been serving time, whether or not they are parole-eligible.

Crime trends in Richmond: According to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services report "Virginia Index Crime and Drug Arrest Trends 2016-2025," published in August 2026 using Virginia State Police crime repository data, Richmond recorded 436.9 violent index crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025, compared with 574.7 in 2016, down 24% over the decade. Its property crime rate was 3,287.3 per 100,000 in 2025, compared with 3,611.8 in 2016, down 9%. Statewide, DCJS reported 210.5 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025, down 7% from 2024 and 14% from 2023; the median rate among Virginia's counties and independent cities was 172.9. DCJS notes that the repository receives rolling updates, so the rates may be revised.

Across August, the board decided 44 parole cases and granted 14, according to its monthly decisions report, a grant rate of about 32% for the month. It denied the other 30. Separately, it held 10 parole-violation hearings, revoking parole in three, continuing parole in six and discharging one person from supervision. For historical context, the Virginia State Crime Commission reported discretionary-parole grant rates of 11% in 2018, 8% in 2019, 12% in 2020 and 8% through September 2021, and Bolts magazine reported a rate of about 1.6% in 2023. All five current board members were appointed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger on March 4, 2026, and confirmed by the General Assembly in March.

Parole in Virginia is supervised release: the board sets conditions, and it can revoke parole and return a person to prison for violations, as it did in three revocation cases this August. The board's report does not give a release date or say where Harold will live.

Richmond is an independent city in the Richmond region.