Missouri governor pardons 24 and commutes 4 sentences

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson's office released Monday that he had pardoned 24 people and commuted four other sentences. It included each of the offenders have shown a changed lifestyle.

The release said the names of the individuals will not be immediately released but that legal paperwork has been filed in each case.

Prior to Monday, Parson had only commuted one other offender's sentence, Dimetrious Woods. He had been convicted of a non-violent drug offense and sentenced to 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole in 2007.

Since having his sentence commuted to house arrest, Woods has opened a local business, Woods Auto Spa. Parson said in a release sent in April that Woods sentenced was commuted because of a change in behavior demonstrated by fatherhood, business and becoming a contributing member to society.

Parson said in the release the four sentences that were commuted were for drug offenders and that each offender will serve out the rest of their prison time in house arrest. The release said three of the offenders had become ineligible for parole under a state statute that was repealed by the Missouri state legislature recently.