NC parole commission pushes back scheduled release for man convicted of murdering Michael Jordan's father
One of the two men convicted in the 1993 murder of Michael Jordan's father will wait at least another year before getting an opportunity at parole.
The N.C. Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission announced Wednesday that Larry M. Demery will be released on Aug. 6, 2024, changing the date originally announced by a full year. Last summer, after denying Demery parole twice, the commission had announced an Aug. 6, 2023, parole date for Demery.
Demery and Daniel Andre Green were convicted in 1996 and have been serving life sentences for the murder of James Jordan. They are eligible for parole because of the sentencing laws in effect at the time.
James Jordan disappeared on his way from a funeral in Wilmington to his home near Charlotte in July 1993, but his family did not immediately report him missing. A body was found in a swamp in South Carolina 11 days later, but it wasn’t identified as James Jordan until his Lexus was found abandoned and vandalized in some woods in Fayetteville almost two weeks later.
Because there was no identification, the body was cremated, but the coroner had saved the jaw and hands of the deceased and was able to make a positive identification after seeing news reports about James Jordan’s disappearance and connecting with investigators.
At the time, Michael Jordan was at the top of his game, having just won a third NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls. His close relationship with his father was well-documented, and many people believe the tragedy forced him into early retirement.
