RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP) – A North Carolina man once sentenced to life in prison for having killed a man now has a date when he can walk out of prison.
German “Jermaine” Grace, who escaped a death sentence but is serving life for first-degree murder in the shooting death of a pizza delivery driver in 1993, will be released from prison on April 7, 2025, after qualifying for parole by the North Carolina Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission.
The commission had announced in February that it was considering his release and then approved it in May under a program that releases some inmates convicted of crimes that occurred before Oct. 1, 1994, when North Carolina abolished parole in cases involving murder and rape. The commission is charged with considering the parole of offenders who were sentenced under guidelines before that date.
Grace, who has a long record of criminal convictions, is earning his freedom after fulfilling the terms of the commission’s Mutual Agreement Parole Program, a “scholastic and vocational program” that is a 3-way agreement among the commission, the Division of Prisons and the offender that requires an inmate to display a desire to improve education and training programs and a self-improvement process.
The commission has considered the release of dozens of inmates from the Piedmont Triad in the past year. Some don’t complete the process or earn approval. Not all are under the MAPP program.
Grace, now 49, was 19 on Aug. 20, 1993, when he was convicted in Guilford County Superior Court of felony murder for his role in the death of a pizza delivery agent Kevin Hodgin in High Point. Grace shot Hodgin three times in the head with a gun he had stolen earlier, the News & Record reported.
Although Grace testified he was playing cards at the time of the killing, four witnesses who were charged with the robbery said it was Grace who pulled the trigger because they were looking for someone to rob. They split the $117 Hodgin was carrying, meaning each got about $20.
Because jurors found Grace guilty under the felony murder act, meaning the death occurred while another crime was being committed, they were suggesting they didn’t think his act was premeditated. He avoided the death penalty.
On Sept. 8, 1995, Grace appealed the murder conviction to the North Carolina Supreme Court on the basis of a biased witness, a failure by prosecutors to connect possession of the murder weapon to Grace and the content of several questions asked of potential jurors. The court denied all three arguments.
MAPP program
With both men having been approved for release in mere months under MAPP, it is important to note that there typically is a 3-year walk-up to release. The MAPP website states that the program requires the inmate:
- To be in medium or minimum custody.
- Not to be subject to a detainer or pending court action that could result in further confinement.
- To be infraction-free for a period of 90 days before being recommended.
Grace, who is being held at the Davidson Correctional Center in Lexington, has been charged with 40 in fractions, although none since 2017. There were a half-dozen charges for sexual acts, attempted bribery, being involved with a gang and numerous lesser offenses.
The commission is required to review all offenders eligible for parole on an annual basis. If you have questions, you can call 919-716–3010.