>> Anthony Rolon was convicted
of murder and sentenced to life
without the chance of parole...
>> NARRATOR: Around the same
time that Joe Donovan got his
parole hearing, Anthony Rolon
would also come before the
board.
>> I believe I was the third
one to have the parole hearing.
So, it was still fresh.
So I knew that the news and
everyone would have their eyes
on it.
>> 20-year-old Bobby Botelho was
stabbed to death nearly two
decades ago.
Tonight, his family speaks to
Eyewitness News as they wait to
hear if his killer will stay
behind bars.
>> It's unfair.
It shouldn't even be happening.
And we'll fight till we have to.
And we'll do whatever it takes.
>> I knew that the victim's
family believed I shouldn't even
be having this hearing.
>> I miss my son.
He was my first born.
>> We shouldn't be having this
opportunity to give this
individual a second chance.
>> Good morning Mr. Rolon, I'm
chairman of the parole board.
We're here today to consider
your petition for parole from a
first-degree murder sentence for
stabbing and killing Robert
Botelho on January 21...
>> I wanted to have respect for
the family, so I didn't want to
look over there.
But I went there with a purpose
of having that opportunity to
say I'm sorry.
It's time to speak the truth.
It's time to say what happened.
It's time to own up.
>> After being convicted of
taking Mr. Botelho's life, I
told his mother I didn't kill
her son.
For the past 18 years and six
months, Mr. Botelho's mother
has deserved from me to speak
the truth by saying that it
was me who killed her son.
And that I'm sorry for creating
the pain that is in her heart.
It was like an out-of-body
experience for me.
It was unbelievable feeling.
I take full responsibility
for the death of Mr. Botelho.
It was very emotional.
My family, my supporters, and
for me to go back to that space
and talk about it and have them
hear, "Okay, he killed someone."
>> I ask forgiveness for Anthony
from myself because if I had
been the mother that I should
have been to my son, none of us
would be here today.
My son never saw me actually do
drugs, but..
>> At the time, my mother was
getting high, so I didn't have
no relationship with her.
>> He would get into fights
because his friends would call
me names like crackhead.
>> My father sold drugs.
I learned negativity from him.
I had anger, man, it was just
all anger, all anger.
That's it.
I didn't think about nothing
else that was going on.
I didn't think about the
victims' family.
I didn't care.
>> He was my only son.
And I'll never forgive him.
Ever, ever, ever.
I will never forgive him.
>> I heard his mother's anger.
I felt they pain.
>> Bobby was my only son, my
only child.
>> When they were speaking, I
was on the other side and I just
put my head down.
I was ashamed that I was the one
who created their pain.
I mean, I've changed and I'm not
the same individual.
But, again, I feel ashamed of
what I did, man.
If I'd have just walked away
that night, if I'd have just
been like, "Okay," if I didn't
felt I had to prove anything to
anybody, Bobby Botelho would be
alive today.
>> This was a murder that was
clearly first degree...
>> NARRATOR: For the victim's
family and the prosecutors,
Rolon's story of prison
transformation wasn't enough.
>> This was a crime that merits
punishment beyond 18 years.
He has not served a sufficient
amount of time.
>> There are people who show up
at every hearing and oppose...
>> Absolutely.
>> And they say 18 years, 25
years-- that's not enough.
>> (sighs)
That's really a tough one.
I guess I would turn it around
in a sense and say what would
be accomplished if Anthony spent
another 20 years in prison?
>> I understand what I did, I
know what I did.
In spite of me serving this
sentence, I still made the
efforts to grow and fix myself.
Fix myself from the individual
that killed Mr. Botelho...
>> If you look carefully at the
Supreme Court decisions, what
they said is, you know, "What is
the purpose of locking somebody
up?"
>> I understand his mother will
never forgive me.
>> How much time does it take
for that kid who is dangerous at
that moment in time to grow up?
And so, the focus
has to be on change.