COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. -- Blair Dacey, who was 18-years-old in 2014 when a judge sentenced her to 20 years in prison, will be released from incarceration early, according to Colonial Heights Commonwealth's Attorney Gray Collins.
Dacey, now 26, was convicted of second-degree murder and assault and battery in the death of Rusty Mack.
Mack, 21, was killed outside his Colonial Heights apartment in February 2013.
Dacey kicked Mack in the head, police said.
Four people were arrested and charged in connection with Mack's death, but Dacey was the only one convicted.
Her release from prison, seven years into her sentence, came as a shock of Mack's parents.
"What is he thinking?" Mike Mack said about Governor Northam's decision to grant Dacey a pardon. "She was convicted by her peers and sentenced."
When asked about the pardon, the Governor's Office said that no final action has been taken on this petition. An online search of the Department of Corrections confirms that Dacey is still in custody at this time.
Collins said he found out about the conditional pardon on Tuesday morning and was concerned the court's sentencing was not upheld.
He also said the governor did not follow the usual procedures for a conditional pardon.
"Just kind of takes you back to the very beginning, a lot of bad feelings, memories come up, it's just hard to deal with," Rusty's step-mother Lori Mack said.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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