(CBS DETROIT) – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed an emergency appeal to reverse the parole granted to a man convicted of rape more than three decades ago.
William Lamont Bonds, 56, was convicted in two separate cases in 1993 and 1994. In the first case, Bonds was sentenced to 30 to 45 years for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, including one count of receiving and concealing stolen property over $100 and one count of burglary of an occupied building in connection with the rape of one person at gunpoint. He later pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct and was sentenced to 25 to 45 years for breaking into another victim’s home and raping her.
Bonds was granted 24 months parole on November 14, 2024 and is expected to be released on parole on February 20, 2025.
In response, one of the victims contacted Nessel’s office. State officials concluded that the parole board’s decision to grant parole to Bonds “is a clear abuse of the board’s decision,” according to the appeal.
“Mr. Bonds is not an appropriate candidate for parole, and the Parole Board’s decision to grant him parole again is both puzzling and dangerous,” Nessel said in a statement.
Nessel says Bonds was released on parole in 2023 and required to complete the Residential Sexual Assault Prevention Program; however, his parole was revoked after Bonds was released from the program for non-compliance. He also has a criminal history, including a conviction for theft in 1986 and a burglary in 1988.
“Allowing his release, especially so soon after his failure to comply with parole conditions, is a blatant abuse of discretion given the overwhelming facts and circumstances,” Nessel said. “Records of his incarceration and his prior parole violations indicate that he continues to downplay the seriousness of his crimes. For the safety of our community, Bonds must remain in prison.”
