Man Convicted Of Murdering Classmate As Teen Denied Parole

BOSTON (CBS) – A Canton man convicted of beating a classmate to death with a baseball bat as a teenager in 1986 has been denied parole for a third time.

Rod Matthews was convicted of killing Shaun Ouillette when both were 14 years old.

Matthews was the first juvenile in Massachusetts to be tried for murder as an adult. He was convicted of second degree murder.

Now 43 years old, Matthews pleaded for his release, saying through tears in March that he was a different person 30 years ago and that he was a kid trying to prove something to his friends.

But the Massachusetts Parole Board did not agree, ruling on Tuesday that he must remain in jail for at least five more years.

Canton Police Chief Ken Berkowitz tweeted that prison is "where (Matthews) belongs."