VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — James King, 72, is convicted of murdering two woman: one in Virginia Beach in 2020, and another in Ohio back in 1986.
He was sentenced for the Virginia Beach murder in February of 2025, receiving two life sentences. However, he's now eligible for parole under Virginia law due to his age.
WTKR News 3 was there in February when King was sentenced on charges of first-degree murder and object sexual penetration. He was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering Lexie Walters back in 2020 at the Days Inn off Bonney Road in Virginia Beach.
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Lexie's family was outraged when they recently got an email notifying them that he was eligible for a parole hearing in early September.
Her sister, Marie Jones, said when she opened the email from the Virginia Parole Board, it was the most devastating, heart-wrenching feeling. At first, Jones said she thought the email was a mistake. However, King is eligible to be considered for parole even though he was just sentenced earlier this year.
Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney Colin Stolle explained, “Unfortunately, he falls into that category and he’s being considered for geriatric parole.”
Under Virginia law, to be eligible for geriatric parole, an inmate must be at least 65 years old with five years served or 60 years old with 10 years served. The law excludes people convicted of Class 1 felonies. Lexie's murder was considered a Class 2 felony.
King has been locked up since his arrest in 2020 for Lexie’s murder, meaning he’s been in jail for five years and is now eligible for a parole hearing annually, unless the parole board defers it for three years.
"This is an individual that is extremely dangerous, has proven to be extremely dangerous over the years and quite frankly, someone who commits two different murders has no business seeing the light of day ever again," said Stolle.
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Back in the 1980s, King was convicted of brutally murdering another woman in Ohio. The crimes were very similar, according to law enforcement: King was at a wedding and violently murdered the mother of the bride after the ceremony. He served 20 years in jail for this crime, was released and then moved to Virginia Beach.
Additionally, he spent a year locked up for assaulting a third woman in Virginia Beach back in 2018.
The Virginia Parole Board said it is important to note that just because an inmate is being considered for parole or conditional release does not mean the Board will grant it.
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Jones said when she spoke to an advocate at the parole board, they told her there was a very slim possibility he could get out.
“Even a slim possibility is still a possibility,” said Jones.
She doesn’t understand how someone who has been convicted of such awful crimes could ever been eligible for parole.
Jones also said the anguish of learning about the potential parole hearing was devastating for the whole family as they try to heal.
“We were rebuilding and now we find ourselves in almost like a freeze frame again, emotionally. We don’t know where to start emotionally again. Everything is ripping that Band-Aid back off. How do you even digest something like this again?” said Jones.
She said her family and others were shocked to learn the law allowing King to be eligible for parole even exists.
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Stolle said it can be painful for certain victims and their families to even receive a letter from the parole board informing them that a criminal is being given parole consideration.
“We have been reached out to by victims' families going, ‘Why are we having to go through this every year?’ And we have to explain, it’s not the courts, it’s not our office. This is what the law is,” said Stolle.
The Virginia Parole Board said, "There have been no changes to the law concerning geriatric conditional release since 2001. However, for administrative reason, the Board no longer requires these inmates to petition the Board to be considered. Eligible inmates are identified by the Virginia Department of Corrections and are automatically referred in the electronic records management system to the Parole Board for interview and consideration."
Jones is now fighting to get the law changed and wants people to know the painful impact it’s had on her family.
