Father Serving FIVE Life Sentences For Children's Deaths Makes Shocking Plea To Governor

DeLisle was convicted in 1990 for the deaths of his children, Bryan, Melissa, Kathryn, and Emily, who were 8, 4, 2, and 8 months old respectively at the time of the incident on August 3, 1989. The conviction followed the tragic event where DeLisle's vehicle plunged into the Detroit River, resulting in the drowning of all four children, as reported by Fox 2 Detroit.

DeLisle and his wife, Suzanne, managed to escape the sinking vehicle, but their attempts to save the children were unsuccessful. Suzanne DeLisle, who divorced and remarried shortly after the trial, has maintained that she tried to wrest control of the steering wheel from her husband to no avail.

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Initially, public sentiment leaned towards viewing DeLisle as a victim. However, subsequent police investigations revealed that he had not attempted to brake before the car hit the water. In a recorded interview with Michigan State Police, DeLisle admitted that he "just couldn't" apply the brakes as the vehicle headed toward the river. "I didn't want to. I don't know why," he confessed, as quoted by the Detroit Free Press. "I didn't mean to hurt my babies ... I didn't even realize they were in the car. My mind just went blank."

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The power to grant DeLisle clemency lies solely with Governor Gretchen Whitmer. DeLisle, who has served 35 years in prison without any conduct issues, had his case heard by Michigan's Parole Board on Thursday, as confirmed by state Corrections Department spokesman Kyle Kaminski to The Associated Press.

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DeLisle's legal team, who were unavailable for immediate comment, have argued that their client's confession was coerced. They also contend that the extensive national media coverage of the case denied him a fair trial.

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Judge Robert Colombo Jr., who presided over DeLisle's original case, remains convinced that the jury's decision was correct. Speaking to Fox 2 Detroit, Colombo cited evidence of DeLisle's premeditation, including his presence in the area the day before the incident and his troubled personal history. "He was there the day before casing the area planning the event," Colombo said. "He had a difficult job, he wasn't doing well. His father had committed suicide in the same vehicle. And I had suppressed some evidence where he tried to do the same thing years earlier, where he tried to blow up the house. There was a leak in the dryer and he placed a candle by it."

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When asked if DeLisle deserved clemency, Colombo responded with a resounding "Absolutely not," labeling him a "mass murderer," as reported by Fox 2.

However, the Innocence Clinic at the University of Michigan's law school and Northwestern University's law school are supporting DeLisle, asserting that the crash was accidental. Retired attorney Peter Van Hoek, who was involved in earlier appeals, told The Associated Press, "He's not a danger to anyone, and there's no reason to keep him in prison."

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DeLisle's appeal against his mandatory life sentence was rejected in 1993, according to Fox 2 Detroit. Parole board member Anthony King, who led Thursday's hearing, expressed skepticism about DeLisle's claim that he did not brake after his vehicle lurched forward, telling The Associated Press that it was "hard to believe."