95-year-old convicted murderer paroled after 40 years of her life sentence in Michigan
A Michigan woman convicted in 1983 for her role in the death of her boyfriend is now paroled at the age of 95, records show.
Dorothy J. Morris was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole in connection to the 1982 killing of Rudolph G. Helmreich, according to prison records and MLive reporting.
On Morris’ instruction, her teenage son and his friend drugged and smothered Helmreich with a leather jacket leading to his death, MLive reported.
“I didn’t think my ma cared for me,” son Charles Dziuba said at her trial, according to the news outlet. “I wanted her to show some feelings for me. I figured if I did kill him, she’d care about me more.”
In Michigan, a first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole unless their sentence is commuted by the governor.
Other “lifers” can be paroled at the discretion of the Michigan Parole Board after serving 10 or 15 years of the life sentencing, depending on the day of their offense, according to the board.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer commuted Morris’ sentence Dec. 4, 2024, “based on the affirmative recommendation of the Michigan Parole Board,” according to state legislature notes.
After more than 40 years in prison, Morris was paroled Jan. 9, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections. She will remain on parole until Jan. 9, 2029, a few months shy of her 100th birthday.
Bay City is about a 110-mile drive northwest from Detroit.
This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 11:05 AM with the headline "95-year-old convicted murderer paroled after 40 years of her life sentence in Michigan."
