Two men convicted of murder among September parole grants; one victim's family opposed release

Two of the seven people the Virginia Parole Board granted parole in September were convicted of homicide, according to the board's September decisions report: Troy Demar, convicted of second-degree murder in Fairfax County, and Calvin Darnell Johnson, convicted of first-degree murder in Richmond and sentenced to life.

Both were decided at the board's Sept. 10 meeting by 4-0 votes, according to the approved minutes. Board Member Kevin White was absent.

Demar, 53, was sentenced in January 1999 to 40 years, with no time suspended, according to the board record. WJLA 7News reported that, according to authorities in 1998, Christine Allen was found stabbed to death in the Fairfax County home she shared with Demar, that Demar testified he did not kill her, and that the jury found him guilty and recommended the maximum sentence. The board estimates he has served 28 years, 4 months and 22 days.

At the meeting, three immediate family members of the victim spoke against parole, and Victim Services Coordinator Cindy Yadav read a statement from her daughter, the minutes say. "Christine doesn't get a second chance," one sister said, according to WJLA. "Please deny his request for parole." Demar told the board he was "a totally different person from years ago," the station reported.

Members cited demonstrated rehabilitation, excellent institutional adjustment, infraction-free conduct since incarceration, no previous felony convictions, educational advancement, a low risk-assessment score and a stable release plan, the minutes and report show. "I recognize the strong opposition to Mr. Demar's release on parole, but he has done everything that he's required to do," one member said, according to WJLA.

Johnson, 61, was convicted in Richmond City Circuit Court in October 1989, according to the board record, which estimates he has served 33 years, 6 months and 19 days. His record also lists 2023 convictions for drug possession in Henrico County and for obtaining money by false pretenses in Richmond. The record does not explain the circumstances of those convictions.

In Johnson's case, the Victim Services Team reported that "after exhaustive efforts, they were unable to locate the victim's next of kin," according to the minutes. Two members said the prosecuting attorney supports release, and members cited excellent institutional adjustment, community support, a stable release plan and faith-based programming. Chair Shannon Dion said he had been infraction-free since 1996.

The Washington Examiner reported that release authorizations for first-degree murder convictions require at least four votes in favor. All four members present voted for Johnson's release.

The cases drew differing reactions. Former Attorney General Jason Miyares told WJLA that every such release is "completely 100% now the responsibility of Abigail Spanberger," who appointed the board. Jason Pye of the Due Process Institute, a group that supports parole, wrote Oct. 7 that coverage of Demar's case had centered on the family's grief, and that the board's record of rehabilitation, programming and infraction-free conduct "deserve[s] a place there, too."

Neither case involved a split vote. In August, the board's grants included four people convicted in killings, according to its August report.

Parole is supervised release, and the board can revoke it for violations. The September report does not give release dates for either man.

How parole works in Virginia: Virginia effectively abolished parole for most crimes in 1995 under a truth-in-sentencing law, so parole is now available mainly to people convicted before that law took effect, to older prisoners through geriatric conditional release, and, under laws passed in 2020, to people who committed crimes as juveniles and to some people convicted by juries between 1995 and 2000, according to Bolts. The board reviews eligible people and generally reconsiders them annually. Statewide, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services reported 210.5 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025, down 7% from 2024 and 14% from 2023, in its August 2026 report on crime trends.

Fairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia. Its county seat is Fairfax, an independent city.

Henrico County is a county in the Richmond region. Its county seat is Laurel.

Richmond is an independent city in the Richmond region.