Four members of the Tennessee Board of Parole have voted to release convicted killer Gerald Wayne (J.B.) Bounds, 66, from prison.
Bounds was found guilty of the 1981 shooting of 27-year-old Sherman Wright of Smithville, and has served 32 years and eight months of a life sentence for the crime. Bounds will be released in the next few weeks, when a satisfactory release plan for parole supervision has been established.
The guidelines of the Tennessee Board of Parole require that “A grant of parole shall not be deemed to be effective until a certificate of parole has been delivered to the inmate, such inmate has voluntarily signed the certificate and the effective date has been reached. When an effective date of parole has been established by the Board, release on such date shall be conditioned upon the continued good conduct of the inmate and the completion of a satisfactory release plan for parole supervision.”
Bounds fifth parole and latest parole hearing was held at the Southeast Regional Correctional Facility in Pikeville on Oct. 16.
The two parole board members in attendance had opposing views on whether Bounds should be released. Member Tim Gobble voted to deny parole for another year, while Patsy Bruce voted for Bounds’ release.
In the days following the hearing, the other members of the parole board reviewed the case and presented their conclusions. Voting continued until four members concurred on the decision to release Bounds.