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Student Who Killed Two in MSU Dorm Denied Parole

Brett Byers, now 49, was sentenced to 165 years in prison in 1990 after shooting two students while they were sleeping

By Associated Press

BOZEMAN — The Montana State University student convicted of shooting and killing two men in his dorm in 1990 was denied parole for the third time.

On Tuesday, Brett Byers, now 49, was denied an early release from his 165-year sentence at the Montana State Prison.

James Clevenger, the father of a victim, read a statement at Tuesday’s hearing that asked for the board to deny Byers parole “now and in the future.” He had read a similar statement in Byers’ two previous parole hearings. Clevenger called Byers a “dangerous” person who has ruined his family.

“A large part of our lives is missing and replaced with the pain and suffering of an irrational loss at the hands of this violent individual,” Clevenger, whose son was also named James Clevenger, said.

Annette Carter, one of the parole board members, said it would diminish the seriousness of the offense if Byers were to be released early.

In 1990, Byers loaded a shotgun and went to his dorm room at the Bozeman university after crashing his truck outside. He had been drinking wine.

Byers entered James Clevenger and Brian Boeder’s room while they were sleeping, shooting the two with four close-range shots. They died later that morning.

Boeder was a physical education major from Minnesota. Clevenger was a general studies student from Billings, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.

Law enforcement arrested Byers later that day after a high-speed chase ended with him crashing his truck again.

Byers apologized for what he did at the hearing Tuesday and said he’s been paying for his actions for the past 30 years.

“It was a very quick decision that altered three families and their lives forever,” he said.