PRATT MURDER Board sticks to early parole in killing

The Pratt family had hoped to persuade the board to change the release date.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
WARREN -- The Ohio Parole Board has decided to uphold an earlier ruling granting parole to Michael Swiger on or after Jan. 2.
The board made the decision after a hearing Monday in Columbus.
Swiger, 36, of Tiltonsville, Ohio, is serving 21 to 53 years in prison for his 1990 conviction of kidnapping with a gun specification and involuntary manslaughter in the slaying of Roger Pratt, known as Butch, near Akron.
Swiger had an earlier parole hearing in September 2002 in which he was given a projected release date of Jan. 2, 2008, but the parole board, citing new information received in the case -- information it said never had been publicly divulged -- granted him a new hearing in September 2003 and set a revised release date of Jan. 2, 2005.
Michael Pratt, brother of the murder victim, asked the board to reconsider the earlier release date and got a chance to present his arguments before the board Monday.
He said the board heard from both sides, debated in private for about 20 minutes, and then announced it would uphold the Jan. 2, 2005, release date.
Swiger won't immediately be free, however.
Pennsylvania has a detainer against him, and he faces one to five years in prison in that state for his role in an arson at a Greenville furniture store in 1988.
What's behind decision
Brian Niceswanger, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, said the parole board decided to uphold the earlier release date because Swiger has made a good institutional adjustment during his more than 14 years in prison.
Niceswanger said that includes a good prison record as well as Swiger's completing educational and other programs to prepare himself for life out of prison.
The fact that Pennsylvania has a detainer against Swiger also weighed in his favor for release from Ohio, Niceswanger said.
Swiger, in an October 2003 letter to The Vindicator, said he has taken responsibility for his actions, stayed out of trouble and tried to give back to society.
He's earned two associate degrees and a bachelor's degree in business, accumulated more than 22,000 hours of community service and written two novels during his incarceration, he said.
Michael Pratt said he didn't think the board's decision was fair to him and his family. He had hoped the board would agree to extend Swiger's Ohio term so he would have to serve at least 21 years.
He expressed appreciation to people who supported the Pratt family's efforts to keep Swiger in prison.
Swiger is one of three people imprisoned in Pratt's death.
Still imprisoned
Swiger's older brother, Edward, 38, is serving 40 years to life for murder with a gun specification and kidnapping.
He was Pratt's roommate at Thiel College in Greenville, and authorities said Pratt was killed to keep him from telling authorities what he knew about the furniture store arson and a pair of Greenville burglaries.
Edward Swiger faces seven to 18 years in prison in Pennsylvania for the arson, the burglaries and possession of implements of escape he had while being in Mercer County Jail in 1991.
Linda J. Karlen, 51, was sentenced to seven to 15 years for conspiracy to commit kidnapping in the Pratt death and had to serve her entire maximum sentence.
She is to be released in January 2005, but she also will have to go to Pennsylvania to serve five to 10 years for the furniture store arson.