Sister of Slain Officer Fights Inmate's Parole

By Melissa RossFirst Coast NewsJACKSONVILLE, FL -- Northside resident Connie Verville says she's spearheading a petition drive and letter-writing campaign to the state's parole board to make sure her brother's killer stays behind bars. Jacksonville native John "Steve" Dennard was fatally stabbed in 1983 inside the Union Correctional Institution in Starke while working as a corrections officer there. An inmate, Ronald Woods, was convicted of his murder. According to the Department of Corrections website, Woods isn't scheduled to be released until 2033, although the site states that date could change pending review. But Verville says she received a letter from the state's Parole Board informing her Woods had an interview with parole officers, and may have a hearing later this year. "I'll fight his release until my last breath," she says. The organization, "COPS," or Concerns of Police Survivors, is also lobbying on Verville's behalf. First Coast News made a request for the latest information from Parole Board officials as to Woods' status in the prison system, and when a parole hearing might be scheduled. Our phone calls were not returned. In the meantime, Verville says "COPS" will send hundreds of petition signatures to Tallahassee to plead her case. She claims her brother was targeted by inmates because he gave an interview to the St. Petersburg Times describing drug running and corruption inside the prison. "Steve was the coolest guy," she says. "Hearing his killer might be let go, I don't even have an answer on that. It just victimizes our family all over again."