Accountability.
TEXARKANA, Texas — The father of a man killed in a 1996 Texarkana drive-by shooting says he will ask the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to deny parole to the man convicted of the killing, who becomes eligible for his first parole review in January, TXK Today reported Oct. 18.
Adrian L. Manley, now 46, was sentenced in September 1998 to 99 years in prison for the July 17, 1996, shooting death of Roderick Earl Adams on Blanton Street. According to Texas Department of Criminal Justice records, Manley is held at the Connally Unit near Kenedy and becomes eligible for parole for the first time on Jan. 9, 2027. His maximum sentence date is Jan. 8, 2096.
The case
According to the Sixth Court of Appeals, which upheld the conviction in 2000, Manley was riding in a car with three other men when it approached a group on Blanton Street and shots were fired. Adams was killed and two other men were wounded. The three other men in the car testified against Manley, and a .25-caliber pistol found at the home where he lived was matched to the bullets that killed Adams.
Manley was a teenager at the time of the shooting and was certified to stand trial as an adult. A Bowie County jury convicted him of murder in 1998. The appeals court found that one of his statements to police should not have been admitted at trial, but ruled the error harmless. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declined to hear the case in 2001.
A family told something different
Earl Adams, Roderick’s father, said he learned of the January eligibility date in a call from the parole board months ago, followed by a letter. He said the family understood at trial that Manley would have to serve at least 45 years before he could be considered for parole. “I was thinking, no, that’s not true,” he told TXK Today.
Neither his saved newspaper clippings nor a search by the Bowie County District Attorney’s office turned up any record of a 45-year figure. A victim services worker from the district attorney’s office has been in contact with him.
Roderick Adams left behind a daughter who was 6 months old when he was killed. She now has four children of her own. Earl Adams said he plans to testify before the board himself.
Why January 2027
Parole eligibility in Texas is set by the law in effect on the date of the crime. For murders committed between Sept. 1, 1995, and Aug. 31, 1997, a person must serve half of their sentence in calendar time, capped at 30 years, before their first parole review. On a 99-year sentence, that cap is 30 years, which lines up with Manley’s January 2027 date. Murder is also excluded from mandatory supervision, so good time cannot shorten the sentence.
There has never been a 45-year minimum for a 99-year murder sentence under Texas parole law. A 40-year minimum before parole review applies only to capital murder cases with a life sentence committed after 1993, which may be a source of similar confusion for families.
What families on both sides should know
Being eligible for parole does not mean a person will be released. A parole panel reviews each case and votes. If parole is denied, the board sets the next review date, which TXK Today notes can be one to 10 years later in violent cases.
- Victims’ families can register with TDCJ’s Victim Services Division to be notified of reviews, submit a written victim impact statement, and request to meet with a member of the parole board before a vote.
- Families of people in prison can send letters of support to the parole board and can ask to meet with a board member or parole commissioner before the review. Letters describing a release plan, housing, a job offer, and family support are the most useful. Many families also hire a parole attorney to prepare a parole packet.
To find a parole attorney, see the Texas Prison News parole resources under Parole News.
Texas Prison News will report on the outcome of Manley’s parole review.