The man responsible for the murder of teenager Sally Ann Jones and the rape of two other teenagers is set to be released on parole, with a condition that he stay away from Wagga.
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Kenneth Barry Cannon, 61, was convicted and sentenced in 1991 to 21 years in jail for the brutal rape and murder of 18-year-old Miss Jones in 1987.
She was stabbed and thrown in the Murrumbidgee River on Easter Sunday.
Cannon was later given another sentence for the knife-point rape of a 16-year-old girl in 1990 and then in 2015 he was sentenced to seven more years for the 1986 rape of a 15-year-old girl.
He has been eligible for parole previously but was denied on each occasion.
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However, his sentence is set to expire in December 2022, after which he would have served 31 years and four months in prison.
Following a review hearing, the State Parole Authority decided to grant Cannon supervised parole with stringent conditions including a ban on entering the Wagga local government area, and mandatory electronic monitoring.
He also must not contact or be in the company of a person under 16 without the company of a responsible adult of his parole officer.
The authority considered the recommendation of the Serious Offenders Review Council, which advised parole was appropriate.
The SORC noted in its report it was "critical he be supervised in the community as long as possible" given his lengthy incarceration.
The SPA also accepted a Community Corrections pre-release report recommending parole and advising he has completed all available programs in custody.
The Authority's chairman, David Frearson SC, acknowledged Cannon's crimes as "horrendous" but with time running out before the expiry of his total sentence said there was an essential need to provide some supervision and structure.
"If Cannon were to serve his total sentence in custody he would be released with no supervision or monitoring by authorities," the statement said.
"Having considered all the available expert advice, the authority was satisfied supervised parole at this time is in the interests of the safety of the community."
The SPA said Cannon is to be released on parole no earlier than December 31, and no later than January 7, 2022.
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