More than four decades after Shade Underwood brutally murdered his friend Ernest Ward in Morgan County, Tennessee, the now 66-year-old inmate continues to face recurring parole hearings, forcing the victim’s elderly family through decades of painful reopenings.

Underwood was convicted by a jury in 1981 of second-degree murder after shooting Ward with a shotgun and attempting to destroy the evidence by burning the body inside a stolen car. He received a 99-year prison sentence, with a release eligibility calculated for 2062. However, under state guidelines, Underwood has been permitted half a dozen parole hearings since 2003.

The ongoing hearings have exacted a heavy emotional toll on Ward’s family, particularly his mother, Shirleen Rosenbaum Ward. Now 87 and walking with a cane, Shirleen has repeatedly traveled to or participated in hearings across the years alongside prosecutors.

During the latest proceedings held at the Tennessee Department of Correction, Underwood showed little remorse, lightly chuckling while discussing past offenses and claiming he could not remember many details of the murder.

Former District Attorney General Paul Phillips, who originally prosecuted the case, and current 9th Judicial District Attorney General Russell Johnson traveled to oppose Underwood’s release. Johnson argued before hearing officer Tim Gobble that the original 99-year sentence was intended to keep Underwood incarcerated for life, and criticized the system for forcing the victim’s family to endure recurring reviews.

Following the hearing, Gobble recommended that the full seven-member parole board defer Underwood’s next possible parole review by six years to October 2032, sparing the family from frequent mandatory reappearances. The decision now awaits final affirmation from the board.