Thursday, 4:30 PM
Band manager in deadly nightclub fire to be released in March
By John C. Drake, Globe Staff
Daniel Biechele, the band manager who lit the pyrotechnics display that sparked the deadly Rhode Island night club fire in 2003, will be released from prison after serving less than half his sentence, the Rhode Island Parole Board announced today. He will be released in March.
"The Board carefully considered the institutional and public input of the victims, both opposed and in favor of his release -- the numerous support letters, his progress in the correctional system, his proposed release plan and his low score on our Parole Release Risk Instrument," the board said in a statement.
Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch had opposed Biechele's parole. Relatives of the fire's 100 victims have had varying opinions on the possibility of Biechele's release after serving about 18 months of a four-year sentence.
Some were receptive, crediting Biechele for apologizing and acknowledging his role in the fire early on, while others urged that Biechele be required to serve the entire term.
