ESSEX, Vt. -
His name is Louie Hamlin. He tortured, raped and murdered in Essex, Vermont. He got 45 years to life in prison, but that was 30 years ago.
Hamlin, now 47, has served his minimum sentence and if the parole board approves his release he could soon be a free man.
Let's go back to May 15, 1981. Two, 12 year-old-girls, on their way home from school, were ambushed tortured and brutalized. Lt. Robin Holweedel of the Essex Police Department worked the case.
"I don't think we'd seen that sort of violence against 2 young girls, the sexual assault and the homicide," said Lt. Holweedel.
One girl died, while the other lived to identify her attackers.
Convicted one year after their merciless attacks: Louie Hamlin, who was 16 at the time, and his slightly younger friend, 15-year-old Jamie Savage. The age difference really mattered.
In 1982 Vermont, anyone under 16, no matter how heinous the crime was tried in juvenile court. Savage was convicted, served less than two years and had to be freed on his 18th birthday.
Louie Hamlin was tried as an adult, convicted of murder and given 45 years to life.
In the last 30 years Hamlin has been moved from Vermont to Missouri, to Wisconsin, and to Colorado where he's been in a maximum security prison since 2000.
Hamlin turns 48 on Monday. He has marked 31 of those birthdays in prison. His first chance for parole came up in February and it was denied. He has yet to complete a violent sex offender program within Vermont prison walls and that is a must. His case comes up for review every 2 years. His next chance: February 2014.
As for Jamie Savage his whereabouts are not known and we will continue to follow the story. If we track him down, Fox44 will report his whereabouts immediately.
We did find the woman who survived the attack. Now in her 40s, she is living a full, rich life. But she asked for privacy and we respect that.
The parents of the girl who died graciously offered these thoughts about Louie Hamlin's possible parole.
"We want to see him stay in jail for life, for the safety of all children in Vermont or wherever he may be. We are healing from the scars and we believe that we will be reunited with our only daughter someday. She lives forever in the stories we tell and the pictures we share"
