Henry Montgomery was just a teenager when he last became a free man. He has been imprisoned at Louisiana State Prison for six decades.
At 17 years of age, he was convicted for the killing of Charles Hunt (East Baton Rouge sheriff’s deputy).
“You can’t put sorry into words, in the right words to be used in a time like this,”Montgomery said. “I did all the time, but I still have to live with that decision for the rest of my life, and I want to thank [everyone] that gave me this shot, this opportunity.”
Montgomery was originally sentenced for life without parole. But because he was a minor, the Supreme Court later ruled that a life sentence for a juvenile offender was cruel and unusual punishment.
“Since Henry’s US Supreme Court ruling in 2016, over 800 men and women across the country have been able to come home,”Andrew Hundley of the Louisiana Parole Project stated. “Been given second chances to rebuild their lives. “
Hundley was also a juvenile convict and was released from prison in the same Supreme Court decision. After being paroled, Hundley helped to liberate Montgomery.
“Today, Henry being home is a symbol of hope for individuals who go to prison as young people,”Hundley said. “Henry coming home sends a message that their lives matter, and that they can redeem themselves, and that they are better than the worst mistakes they’ve ever made.”
Montgomery said he would use his parole time to pay respects to his grandmother and mom, who both died while Montgomery was in prison.