Convicted killers denied parole in Houston gay murder

A state parole panel has decided that two men convicted for the 1991 slaying of a gay banker in Houston will spend at least two more years in prison. Parole for Jon Buice, sentenced to 45 years in prison for his role in the killing of Paul Broussard, was denied Wednesday for at least two years. Jaime Aguirre, serving a 15-year sentence, will have to wait at least three more years for parole after his denial by a different panel, officials said. Buice and Aguirre were among 10 teens from The Woodlands, a Houston suburb, convicted in the death of Broussard, who was 27 when he and two friends were attacked as they left a gay nightclub in Houston's Montrose district. Broussard's friends escaped with minor injuries, but Broussard was beaten, kicked, and stabbed to death. Prison officials says Buice, now 29, has had a flawless prison record since he began serving his sentence, earning a bachelor's degree and two associate's degrees. His parole bid was championed by Houston gay rights advocate Ray Hill, who also is active in prisoners' rights. Hill said he was disappointed with the panel, and he called the ruling a result of "the seduction of revenge and the absence of courage." Andy Kahan, director of the Houston Victims' Assistance Center, and Nancy Rodriguez, Broussard's mother, appeared before the parole panel to oppose Buice's parole, the Houston Chronicle reported in its Thursday editions. Kahan said he does not oppose Buice's eventual release but said, "We shouldn't be rewarding convicted murderers by granting them early release, especially after serving only a quarter of their sentence."