SPOKANE – In exactly one week, the family of murder victim Linda Strait will address the Department of Corrections’ Indeterminate Sentence Review Board as they consider possible early release for Arbie Williams. Williams not only murdered Linda, but also kidnapped and assaulted two little girls from Spokane Valley.
All three families received a notice last this month saying in part, “I am writing to inform you about a parole hearing that will be held for this offender (Arbie Williams) in the near future. This hearing has been tentatively scheduled for the April 10th, 2019 docket. As a victim or survivor of this crime, you have a right to make a statement to the Board, but you are not required to do so.”
Next Monday, the families will have the opportunity to speak with the board in person ahead of that hearing. If they find Williams’ fit for release, he could be out as early as this summer, years before his sentence is even up. In turn, the board could also add time to his sentence.
Linda’s family and one of the girls Williams abducted have publically asked the community for support in this process. They have urged anyone touched by this story to write letters to the board asking them to keep him in custody.
The families tell KHQ’s Hayley Guenthner, so far about 100 people have wrote letters to the board. They’ve been made aware of a road block they want the community to know about. Here is what they posted on Facebook:
“Update: The Indeterminate Board office has received approximately 100 letters. Of those about 40 are awaiting approval (from the persons who wrote them) to have them entered into Williams file. Without approval the letters are destroyed. Please include this sentence in your letters: “I give my permission for this letter to be entered into Williams file.” Addresses are not entered, only names.
Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to write!”
The family is hoping to have all the letters in by Monday. You can send them via email as well. All of that information can be found here.
