Teresa Williams
THOMASVILLE -- The Georgia State Board of Pardons & Parole confirmed Wednesday that former Thomasville resident Ernest B. Shuman, currently serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole at Smith State Prison in Glenville, will not receive parole this year.
"His parole has been denied," said Kim Patton-Johnson, acting public information officer.
Convicted for the 1990 murder of Ronald Wyche Jr., 7, Shuman's case was presented to a five-member review board for parole consideration on May 5. His first parole review was in 1997 and he should not be eligible again until 2011.
"I thank God, I really do," said Bertha Sardis, Wyche's mother. "I thank God. When I heard the news, tears were rolling down my cheeks."
No one was with Sardis when she learned the news Wednesday afternoon as she was driving in her car to a part-time job.
The board contacted local victims advocate Karen Bishop who, in turn, contacted Sardis.
If Shuman had been released, Sardis said she would have felt that justice was unfair. However, the possibility of Shuman being granted parole did cross her mind.
"I didn't even know what they were going to do," said Sardis. "I was praying and hoping. I thank God that he is where he belongs."
Though she realized Shuman not receiving parole this year will not bring her son back, Sardis said it does give her relief.
"What I am going through now, it makes me feel like I'm serving a life sentence because I don't have my child with me," she said. "For the rest of my life, I have to live without my child. It's just something that I've learned to live with but, from day one, I have never gotten over it."
Patton-Johnson said a letter was sent to Shuman on May 9 so he should be aware of the Board's decision.
"Our procedure is not to inform (the public) until the inmate knows," she said. "Generally, a victim's family is notified as quickly as possible, but we like to notify the inmate first in a letter advising him that parole has been denied."
Sardis thanked the people who wrote IMPACT letters in support of denying Shuman parole.
