Man convicted in two 1989 Peninsula killings, including his father's, granted parole

The Virginia Parole Board has granted parole to Reginald Shell, who was convicted of two first-degree murder convictions in Hampton, according to the board's August 2026 decisions report.

The board's August report lists Shell, 60, as granted discretionary parole, recorded Aug. 28 and certified Aug. 31. His record shows two separate first-degree homicide judgments in 1989: a Hampton Circuit Court judgment dated Aug. 11, 1989, carrying 60 years, and a Newport News Circuit Court judgment dated Sept. 26, 1989, carrying a life sentence. The report estimates he has served 37 years, 4 months and 19 days.

A published 1990 opinion of the Court of Appeals of Virginia, Shell v. Commonwealth, describes the Hampton case. Police found the body of Samuel Rylander, Shell's father, on Feb. 11, 1989, in a house on Victor Street in Hampton. The court said Shell confessed to Hampton detectives that he kicked and beat his father and stabbed him, and the opinion describes multiple stab wounds and a clothes hanger wrapped around the victim's neck. He was convicted of first-degree murder in a bench trial on June 30, 1989, and sentenced to 60 years; the appeals court affirmed. This newsroom did not find a source describing the Newport News homicide, so that case is described only as the board's record shows it.

Prior and repeat offenses: Beyond the two 1989 homicide judgments, no other convictions appear in the board's record. The board's listed reasons include "No previous felony convictions," which appears to refer to his record before 1989. Board members said he has been infraction-free since 2015.

The board's stated reasons: The board's listed reasons included participation in faith or community programs, commitment to personal growth, a low risk-assessment score, infraction-free conduct, completion of treatment, stable family relationships, educational milestones, no history of substance abuse, clear acceptance of responsibility, his age at the time of the offense, demonstrated rehabilitation, emotional stability, no previous felony convictions, significant community support and a documented support network.

According to the Aug. 27 minutes, Victim Services Coordinator Cindy Yadav read a statement from a family member of one of the victims. Shell addressed the board. The minutes record a 5-0 vote; Board Member Valerie Boykin noted his service as a peer mentor. (The August PDF's vote table lists Chair Dion twice and omits Board Member Boykin; the minutes show all five members 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 Hampton: 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, Hampton recorded 278.2 violent index crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025, compared with 324.2 in 2016, down 14% over the decade. Its property crime rate was 2,912.3 per 100,000 in 2025, compared with 3,399.2 in 2016, down 14%. 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. Newport News, where Shell's second homicide judgment was entered, recorded 801.8 violent crimes per 100,000 in 2025, compared with 472.7 in 2016. 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 Shell will live.

Richmond is an independent city in the Richmond region.