David Francis Brom, now 54, who was convicted at the age of 16 for the brutal axe murders of his parents and two siblings in 1988, has been granted parole by the Minnesota Department of Corrections’ Supervised Release Board on Monday. The board's decision comes after Brom served 36 years of three consecutive life sentences, a period reduced under a 2023 law that allows offenders sentenced as minors to seek parole earlier.
The gruesome crime took place in Rochester, where police discovered the bodies of 41-year-old Bernard and Paulette Brom, alongside their children, 13-year-old Diane and 11-year-old Rick, with severe head and upper-body injuries. The bloody axe was found at the scene. Following a dispute with his father, Brom confessed to the murders.
In July 2025, Brom transitioned to work release and relocated to a supervised halfway house in the Twin Cities area. He secured employment in cabinetry and began adapting to the modern world he had been absent from for decades, including upgrading from a flip phone to a smartphone and learning to navigate digital society, as reported by MinneapoliMedia.
Corrections officials have noted Brom's consistent and disciplined behavior, marred only by a single minor infraction over more than 35 years. During Monday’s parole hearing, the focus was on Brom's accountability, coping strategies, and readiness to reenter society. The board, voting 5–2, favored release with strict conditions such as employment, regular reporting, geographic restrictions, and compliance with correctional programming. They emphasized that parole does not negate the severity of his crimes and any violation could lead to immediate re-incarceration.
The parole decision has been met with criticism from Republican lawmakers, who attribute it to Democratic legislation signed by Governor Tim Walz in 2023. This law reduced mandatory prison terms for offenders sentenced to life as minors, a move that House Speaker Lisa Demuth and State Rep. Duane Quam argue undermines justice for victims' families and public safety.
The case highlights the evolving landscape of juvenile sentencing law in the United States. Landmark Supreme Court rulings, such as Miller v. Alabama, have prohibited mandatory life without parole for minors, necessitating states like Minnesota to revise statutes and offer parole review.
Brom's reentry process, which he likened to stepping out of a "time capsule," involves adjusting to new technologies, social norms, and work environments. He has cited structure, faith, and guidance as crucial in navigating this transition.
The debate over rehabilitation and public safety has been reignited by Brom's parole. While some advocate for the importance of reintegrating long-term inmates, others argue that certain crimes warrant full sentences without parole. Survivors and the community continue to deal with the aftermath of Brom's actions, and Minnesota now faces the task of balancing rehabilitative opportunities for former juvenile offenders with the need for justice and safety in its communities.
