Crosley Green denied immediate parole, eligibility date moved up 5 years

ORLANDO, Fla. - A state panel on Wednesday denied immediate parole for a former death row inmate who has spent more than 35 years behind bars for a 1989 Brevard County murder he maintains he did not commit. 

The Florida Commission on Offender Review did, however, reduce Crosley Green’s presumptive parole date by five years to 2049, when he will be 91 years old.

The backstory:

Crosley Green was arrested in 1989 in connection with the killing of 22-year-old Charles "Chip" Flynn Jr. A Florida jury convicted him in 1990 of first-degree felony murder, kidnapping and robbery. Green was sentenced to death for the murder and spent roughly 19 years on Florida’s death row.

After the Florida Supreme Court granted Green a new penalty phase, prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty again. In 2009, Green was resentenced to life in prison. A federal judge later overturned his conviction in 2018 after finding prosecutors had withheld evidence, though Green remained behind bars while the state appealed.

In April 2021, Green was released from prison. He remained free for about two years, until a federal appeals court reversed the ruling that had overturned his conviction. After the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal, Green returned to a Florida prison in April 2023.

The Florida Commission on Offender Review denied Green parole in 2023 and set a tentative release date in 2054. In August 2026, the commission again declined to immediately release him but moved his presumptive parole date forward by five years, to 2049.

What they're saying:

At his recent parole hearing, Green’s attorneys pointed to those two years of freedom as evidence that he could successfully return to the community. They said Green worked, cared for his family and stayed out of trouble while he was free.

Attorney Vincent Galluzzo also told the Florida Commission on Offender Review that Green had significant community support.

"There are 200 support letters that I have copies of here that were submitted to the Commission showing that he has the support of the Titusville community," Galluzzo said.

Green’s former employer, a pastor and members of the public spoke in support of him. A former prison warden also backed his release.

'We will not stop until he is home'

Green’s attorneys expressed disappointment with the decision and said they would continue pursuing legal avenues seeking his release. Keith Harrison, the lead attorney for Crosley Green, released the following statement to FOX 35 after the parole board's decision:

"Today, the Florida Commission on Offender Review denied Crosley Green’s request for immediate parole and reduced his presumptive parole date by 60 months to 2049, when Mr. Green will be 91 years old. We are deeply disappointed by this decision. Mr. Green’s family, friends, and supporters in the Brevard County community are heartbroken.

"We are grateful for the many individuals who spoke on Mr. Green’s behalf and wrote letters of support. We are also grateful to Commissioner Morris, who agreed with Mr. Green’s request for immediate parole.

"Although today’s decision is a disappointing setback, our fight for Mr. Green will never be over until he is free. Mr. Green has demonstrated, time and again, that he met every requirement for parole. We will continue to pursue every available path to justice, including seeking relief in state court where his case remains on appeal.

"Mr. Green is an extraordinary candidate for parole because he has a spotless disciplinary record. He has support from a former warden and correction officers, as well as significant community support, as we saw in the more than 300 people who came to the recent prayer vigil and in hundreds of letters of support submitted to the Commission. And if that were not enough, he was on release for two years, during which he was a model citizen and employee and attended his beloved church every Sunday. To our knowledge, there has never been a candidate who was more qualified for parole than Crosley Green.

"We ask everyone to keep Mr. Green and his family in your prayers during this difficult time. We will not stop until he is home."

‘Keep him in prison’

The other side:

Kim Hallock, a surviving victim in the case, urged commissioners to keep Green behind bars. She told the commission she continues to believe Green is responsible and said the effects of the crime remain with her decades later.

"The memory of that night does not go away," Hallock said. "I ask you to keep him in prison as far as long as the law allows."

One member of the commission supported releasing Green in the near future, but the full commission did not agree. Instead, it voted to reduce his presumptive parole date by 60 months, setting a new date of June 2, 2049.

Commission officials also said reaching that date would not necessarily mean Green would immediately return to the community. If granted parole on his current sentence, officials said, Green would first have to begin serving a consecutive 17-year sentence.

"If and when Crosley Green is ever paroled, it would not be parole to the community," a commission official said. The official said Green would have to serve the consecutive sentence before returning to the commission for further consideration.

Timeline:

Green’s case has taken several turns over more than three decades — from a death sentence to life in prison, followed by the overturning of his conviction, two years of freedom and an eventual return to a Florida prison. Below is a year-by-year timeline of Green’s lengthy legal battle and how his sentence has changed over the years.

• 1989: Crosley Green is arrested in connection with the murder of Charles "Chip" Flynn Jr.
• 1990: Green is convicted of murder, kidnapping and robbery and sentenced to death.
• 1990-2009: He spends roughly 19 years on death row.
• 2009: His death sentence is overturned and Green is resentenced to life in prison.
• 2018: A federal judge overturns his conviction, finding prosecutors withheld evidence. Green remains in prison while the state appeals.
• 2021: A federal judge orders Green released from prison while his case is under appeal. He had spent about 32 years behind bars. The release did not mean Green had been acquitted or formally exonerated. A federal court had overturned his conviction in 2018 because of a constitutional violation involving withheld evidence; he was then conditionally released in 2021 while Florida's appeal was pending.
• 2022-2023: A federal appeals court reinstates his conviction, and the U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear his appeal.
• April 2023: After about two years of freedom, Green returns to a Florida prison to continue serving his sentence.
• 2026: The Florida Commission on Offender Review denies immediate parole but moves his presumptive parole date up five years, to 2049.

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