Man convicted in 1994 Brockton shootings granted parole

The Massachusetts Parole Board on Monday granted parole to a 47-year-old man who shot two people in 1994 in Brockton, killing one man and leaving another paralyzed, records show.

The board ruled that Jermaine Celester, who was 21 at the time of the slaying, has “demonstrated a level of rehabilitation that would make his release compatible with the welfare of society.” The three-page ruling said Celester will be released “after six months in lower security” before going to the Community Resources for Justice’s Brooke House in Boston, where he will be required to stay for at least 90 days.

According to the ruling, Celester fatally shot 19-year-old Wakime Woods on Feb. 18, 1994. He shot a second person who survived but was left paralyzed. Prosecutors asserted that Celester shot “both young men” in retaliation for the killing of his close friend months earlier, according to the ruling.

Celester believed Woods and the second man were “refusing to reveal the identity of the murderer,” according to the ruling, which didn’t name the second victim. Celester was convicted in 1995 of first-degree murder, which carries a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for adult offenders. The Supreme Judicial Court vacated his conviction and ordered a new trial, and he was convicted in 2017 of second-degree murder, which carries a life sentence with parole eligibility, according to the ruling.

He was denied parole after his first appearance before the board in 2022, the ruling said.

“Mr. Celester has gained insight into the harm he has caused the victim’s family and his community through his criminal lifestyle,” the ruling said. Since his first hearing, Celester engaged in programs available to those incarcerated, the board said. He remained sober “throughout” three decades in custody, the ruling added.

“Mr. Celester has a strong support system and release plan,” the ruling said. “The Board considered his age at the time of offense as relevant to his criminal behavior. In light of his age, years spent in prison, and reentry needs, the Board is of the opinion that a period of transition in lower security” before moving to the Boston halfway house “will assist [him] with acclimating to the community.”

In January, the SJC ruled to raise the minimum age a person can be sentenced to life without parole from 18 to 21.