A man who participated in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old in Roxbury in 1995 was granted parole for a fourth time this month in a unanimous decision by the state’s Parole Board.
Laron “Ronnie” Elliot was convicted of second-degree murder in May 1997 under a joint-venture theory, meaning he did not directly cause the death of the victim, Cassius Love. Elliot first appeared before the board in 2012 after being sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, but was denied then and at a review hearing in 2014.
But in 2019, the board granted parole to Elliot, only to rescind the decision in 2020. A person’s parole can be rescinded at any time between their parole being granted and their release. A person’s parole is revoked after they are released when they violate a condition of that release.
Elliot was paroled again in 2021, but the board revoked the decision in 2023. In February 2024, the board re-paroled Elliot, but his parole was revoked again later that year. Elliot appeared before the board for a hearing in September 2025.
In 1998, when he was 17, Elliot, co-defendant Michael McAfee, and three other people got in a fight at a Roxbury McDonald’s, which was broken up by a man named Alvaro Sanders. Sanders suggested McAfee and the other man settle the dispute with a fight, which spurred an argument, according to the board’s decision.
Later that day, Sanders and Love ran into Elliot and McAfee on Walnut Avenue in Roxbury. After a brief chase, they stopped in front of Elliot’s house. Elliot ran inside and retrieved a rifle, which he pointed at Sanders and Love while McAfee urged him to “lace them.” When Elliot didn’t fire, McAfee grabbed the gun and shot Love six times, firing at Sanders as he fled the scene.
McAfee was arrested two days later, but Elliot spent two months on the run before being arrested.
In its decision granting Elliot’s release, the board noted that since his return to custody, he completed programs in anger management, parenting and cognitive skills.
“He appears to have learned from his recent experiences,” the decision reads, noting that at the hearing, Elliot “testified about how he has gained insight into his behaviors.”
Elliot has strong support in the community and would benefit from counseling, the board wrote.
As conditions of release, Elliot must waive work for two weeks, be supervised for drugs and alcohol and stay away from the victim and his family. Elliot must also undergo mental health counseling for anger management and healthy relationships.
