BELLAIRE, Ohio – Nearly three decades after committing one of Belmont County’s most shocking crimes, Nathan Brooks — convicted of killing his parents as a teenager — is set for his first parole hearing this month.
Brooks, now 47, is serving a life sentence at London Correctional Institute in London, OH, for two counts of aggravated murder and one firearm specification. Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan said he has not yet been given an exact date for the hearing but confirmed a letter has been sent to the parole board urging them to deny release.
On September 30, 1995, the then–17-year-old Bellaire High School student murdered his father, Terry, and his mother, Marilyn, in their home. The crime scene shocked the Ohio Valley, with investigators later revealing that Brooks professed to worship Satan and had compiled a “hit list” of other intended victims.
The discovery of that list prompted Bellaire officials to cancel trick-or-treat that year, fearing for public safety.
Belmont County Sheriff James Zusack, who was a young deputy at the time, recalls transporting Brooks to court and medical appointments in the months that followed. “He looked like a normal kid, but I could tell from certain things he did that he was into that stuff,” Zusack said, noting Brooks often spoke in both English and Latin.
Zusack says he doubts the parole board will grant Brooks’ release. “What he did was horrible… I honestly don’t think he’ll get out,” he said.
Flanagan, who was new to the prosecutor’s office at the time of the trial, also expressed skepticism. “It is highly unlikely that parole would be granted at this juncture, if ever, given the nature and severity of the offenses,” he said.
Brooks’ hearing will first go before a division of the parole board, with a recommendation then potentially moving to the full board for review.
