Valentine killer freed
Two of the three men involved in the killing of Michael Valentine, after an argument over a hard drive and someone urinating on a toothbrush, are now free, getting released from prison early.
But the man who delivered the fatal blow with a butcher’s knife remains in jail, still needing treatment for substance abuse.
Valentine died in February 2013, bleeding out on the front lawn of his Horowhenua home.
One of his killers, Brayden Windley, has already been on parole and now Michael Zimmerman has been released from prison too, but Stoyan Militch is still behind bars.
A principal Corrections officer attended Zimmerman’s parole hearing, describing him as a ‘‘role model’’ inmate. He had completed a drug treatment programme, and planned to stay sober because he had only ever committed crimes while drunk.
Despite the positive reports, Zimmerman will be subject to GPS monitoring when released. That is because he was being released to an area where a member of Valentine’s family may soon be moving to.
Given he has nearly three years of his sentence to run, the parole board scheduled to meet with him in October to see how he was doing. In Militch’s case, the board noted he was at a low-to-moderate risk of reoffending.
He was living in the self-care units at prison, and helping in the gardens, and there was no issue with behaviour.
However, he was yet to take part in a medium-intensity rehabilitation programme, largely because his risk of reoffending and imprisonment was low. A psychologist had to recommend he be allowed on the programme, despite his low risk, before he could take part.
He also became an identified drug user in prison in December 2016.
The board said it wanted Militch to take part in a rehabilitation programme, and to address his substance abuse, before granting him parole.
He will be seen by the board again by the end of February 2019.
Back in 2013, Militch was taken to Valentine’s home by Windley and Zimmerman, who were drunk and wanting to talk to Valentine’s fiancee. Zimmerman was angry because she held his toothbrush in front of someone urinating into a toilet, while Windley wanted to discuss her taking a hard drive he owned.
An argument with Valentine became physical, ending when Militch plunged a butcher’s knife into Valentine’s chest.
The trio were initially charged with murder, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter a few days into their trial.
Windley has been on parole since 2017, but Militch and Zimmerman recently appeared before the Parole Board – Militch for the first time. They had contrasting fortunes, with Zimmerman being released while Militch was kept in prison.
Zimmerman was nearly given parole at his first board appearance in 2017, so the result is not unexpected.
He took part in a release-towork scheme and lived in self-care units outside the wire in the year between board appearances.
His employer wrote to the board, saying he maintained a high standard when dealing with customers and his workmates.
The board heard from Valentine’s family before meeting Zimmerman. They opposed him being released, believing he accepted responsibility the least of the killers for what he did. They took particular issue with him appealing his sentence, albeit unsuccessfully.
Zimmerman told the board he accepted his responsibility, had wanted to take part in restorative justice with Valentine’s family, and understood why they were were angry.