Bixby family fights to keep convicted killer in prison
BIXBY, Okla. — Just days before the 30th anniversary of a Bixby teen's murder, her family will have to beg to keep her killer in prison.
Jason Lee Winn is currently serving a life sentence for the 1992 murder and attempted rape of 19-year-old Shelly Lynn Rozene.
Rozene's family said Winn will have a hearing with the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on March 7.
They're worried because Winn has gotten to the second step of the parole process.
"He needs to stay in prison," said Jennifer Rozene, Shelly's sister-in-law. "He has not shown any remorse; he's not thrown out any apologies to the family."
Court records show Winn was convicted in 1993. He's currently serving a life sentence for murder.
"In Oklahoma, that life sentence, it's only 45 years, right?" asked NewsChannel 8's Daniela Ibarra.
"That's correct," said attorney Robert Gifford. "Life does not necessarily mean life."
Winn will have to serve a 37-year sentence for attempted rape consecutively, which Gifford said likely means he will have to go right back to prison.
"But we don't want him paroled because of the brutality of the murder," said Rozene.
Regardless of what the board recommends, Rozene knows it won't bring Shelly back.
"She never made it past her 19 years," said Rozene. "She never got to finish college, get married, have kids, see some of her nieces and nephews."
"What do you think that she would think about how you guys are still fighting to, you know, keep her memory alive and keep her killer behind bars?" asked Ibarra.
"I think she would be very proud of all of us for fighting the fight like we are," answered Rozene. "I think that it had it been one of us in her place, she would have been doing the exact same thing for us."
Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado wrote a letter to the parole board in support of Rozene's family.
Rozene says her family will appear in front of the board in person.