Today, January 7, 2025, I attended a parole hearing for inmate Kenneth Ray Phifer. Phifer killed his victim on August 8, 1982. At the conclusion of the hearing, the presiding hearing officer cast his vote to deny parole.

The victim HASKELL EUGENE SPARKMAN had been camping in a cabin with the defendant Kenneth Ray Phifer. Phifer’s plan was to rob Haskell Sparkman of what money he had but his plan went way too far. Haskell Sparkman was beaten in the head by Phifer with a large stick. He suffered 7 skull fractures and a broken arm. His body was left and abandoned and found days later near the Caney Fork River.

A White County Jury found Kenneth Ray Phifer guilty of first degree murder; Phifer received a life sentence. The law in Tennessee at the time provided for parole eligibility after serving 25 years of a “life” sentence. Over the years, Sparkman has had several parole hearings.

In 2016, the Tennessee Parole Board held a hearing and granted parole for Kenneth Phifer. He subsequently committed new crimes and broke rules causing his parole to be revoked. He was paroled and revoked two more times after that. This should never has happened.

Today, the hearing officer recognized that Sparkman’s past conduct indicates that he should not be released again. Three times he has been granted parole and three times he has been returned to prison. While his victim Haskell Sparkman lost his life 43 years ago.

The least Greenwood can do is to serve the life sentence which was imposed.

I appeared alone at today’s hearing to oppose the release of Phifer alone. Haskell Sparkman’s family members have dwindled over the past 43 years. Many have passed away and some are too old to make the trip to attend the hearing. His family have attended several of the past parole hearings. Today I was proud to provide a voice for Haskell Sparkman.