A Carter County woman convicted in connection with the 1993 murder of a woman at a Valley Forge convenience store underwent a parole hearing on Wednesday, and while one vote has been cast to deny parole it could be a few days or even a couple of weeks before the remaining Tennessee Parole Board members render their votes in the case.

Donna J. Sexton, 46, is serving a life sentence in the Tennessee Department of Corrections after entering a “no contest” plea to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in connection with the death of Angela June Whitehead Montgomery and robbing of the Valley Forge Market. At the time of Montgomery’s death, individuals sentenced to life imprisonment were eligible for parole consideration after serving 36 years.

“This 36-year eligibility date could be reduced over time as sentence reduction credits are earned by the offender,” said Robert Reburn, East Tennessee Region Public Information Officer for TDOC. “To date, Sexton has earned 4,032 days of sentence reduction credits for programming, education, and behavior. She also received 168 days of pretrial behavior credits for a total of 4,200. These credits allowed her initial eligibility date of June 24, 2029 to be reduced to the current date of December 24, 2017.”

The TDOC is the official timekeeper for all inmates in state custody and they calculate when an offender becomes eligible for parole consideration, according to Melissa McDonald, Communications Director for the Tennessee Board of Parole. When an inmate is determined to be eligible for parole consideration, TDOC notifies the Board of Parole, which then schedules a hearing for that person.

Both McDonald and Reburn stressed that a parole eligibility determination just means the inmate is eligible for parole, it does not guarantee that he or she will be granted parole.

“Some people never receive parole,” McDonald said. “Just because someone is eligible for parole does not mean they will receive it.”

McDonald confirmed on Wednesday that Sexton’s hearing was completed as scheduled. While some inmates in the TDOC system have their cases heard by hearing officers with the Board of Parole, McDonald said one of the seven members of the Board of Parole heard Sexton’s case personally.

“A murder is one of those serious cases that Board members hear themselves,” she explained.

When a hearing is held, the Board member over the hearing casts their vote to either grant or decline parole. The case is then forwarded to the other board members to review and cast their votes. By statute, four concurring votes are required for a decision in the case.

After Sexton’s hearing on Wednesday, McDonald said the board member presiding over the hearing cast their vote to decline her request for parole and to review the case again in six years.

“The file now goes to the other members, who will review it independently and cast their votes,” McDonald said. “This could take a few days or a couple of weeks.”

If the Board of Parole declines parole, the Board will then set a date when they will consider the offender’s case again, McDonald said.

“If Sexton is granted parole, she would remain under TDOC’s Community Supervision for the remainder of her life, as life sentences do not have end/expiration dates,” Reburn said.

Sexton’s co-defendant in the case, William “Matney” Putman, entered a guilty plea to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated burglary. Putman’s parole on his previous convictions was revoked, and he had to serve that sentence before beginning the sentence for murder and robbery in connection with Montgomery’s death. His current parole eligibility date is in 2029.