Ohio Parole Board Denies Release Former Akron Police Captain Convicted Murder

Douglas Prade, the former Akron police captain convicted of murdering his ex-wife Dr. Margo Prade in 1997, was denied parole by the Ohio Parole Board in 2025, with his next hearing scheduled for 2033 when he will be 87 years old. Prade was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of shooting his ex-wife six times while she was in her minivan at her medical practice. Despite maintaining his innocence and having acceptable institutional behavior, the board cited the brutality and callousness of the crime as outweighing any positive parole factors, stating that he lacked the programming to address his risk of reoffending. Prade was briefly released in 2013 after a judge vacated his conviction based on new DNA evidence, but the Ohio Supreme Court later reinstated his sentence, sending him back to prison. The parole board emphasized that releasing Prade would pose an undue risk to public safety and would not serve justice or societal welfare. His daughters continue to advocate for his innocence, seeking a new trial.