Parole approved for murderer who was suspect in hostage-taking

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

Parole has been approved for an Ohio murder inmate who authorities say crafted a handcuffs key and used a gun made of paper and shoe polish to take hostages at a hospital where he was being treated in 1984.

Ohio prisons department spokesman Brian Niceswanger tells The Columbus Dispatch that the Ohio Parole Board staff approved Paul Brumfield’s parole last month. No release date has been set.

Brumfield is serving a 30-years-to-life sentence for 1976 convictions for murder, rape and other crimes. He was taken in 1984 to a Columbus hospital, where officials said he surrendered 12 hours after taking hostages. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Brumfield, who’s 63, was paroled in 2006 but returned to prison about three years later for a violation.