An ex-convict who terrorized a couple in southwestern New Mexico, leading to the woman's death, is the first participant in a New Mexico inmate transition program.
The Department of Corrections has hired 40-year-old David VanHorn to be a kitchen cook at a Santa Fe state prison.
The job is part of a pilot initiative to help released inmates settle into life outside prison.
VanHorn was released in May from the state penitentiary in Santa Fe.
Authorities say a 20-year-old VanHorn ransacked a Virden couple's home in 1995 and then set it on fire with them inside. The woman died as a result.
Corrections secretary Gregg Marcantel says VanHorn has demonstrated positive behavior in prison.
But the victim's son says he wishes Van Horn would remain imprisoned.
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Information from: KRQE-TV, http://www.krqe.com
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