Man convicted of 2007 murder at Lincoln-Sudbury High School to appear before parole board

John Odgren, 16, of Princeton, Mass., is led from District Court in Framingham, Mass., after pleading not guilty to first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of James Alenson, 15, of Sudbury, Mass., at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Sudbury, Friday, Jan. 19, 2007. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

By Bella Pelletiere

BOSTON — A man convicted of the 2007 murder of a classmate at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School is seeking parole.

John Odgren is scheduled to appear before the Massachusetts Parole Board on Tuesday.

Odgren was convicted of first-degree murder for fatally stabbing 15-year-old James Alenson.

Odgren, who was 16 at the time, was a special education student with Asperger syndrome.

Prosecutors said Odgren stabbed Alenson five times with a 12 1/2-inch butcher knife in a school bathroom. His defense argued that he lacked criminal responsibility.

Odgren was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In January 2024, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that life without the possibility of parole is unconstitutional for “emerging adults” aged 18–20.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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