A man killed a woman en masse after a breakup. After 33 years, he is on parole.

A Massachusetts man couldn’t bear the breakup, so he took his ex-girlfriend’s life.

Steven Woodworth was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 1992 for murdering Julie Harlow after she broke up with him.

But after spending 33 years behind bars and undergoing several rehabilitation treatments, Woodworth, 59, was granted parole on Tuesday. announced the Massachusetts Parole Board.

Woodworth was granted parole to a halfway house after six months in a lower-security prison, the parole board said.

The parole board said that as part of his parole he would have a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. He will also have to meet other conditions, including electronic referral, drug and alcohol testing and refraining from contacting Harlow’s family.

Harlow, 22, broke up with Woodworth, who was 25 at the time, on March 21, 1991, the parole board said.

Unwilling to accept the breakup, Woodworth convinced Harlow to go for a drive with him and talk, the parole board said.

Anger, resentment and a sense of abandonment bubbled to the surface and he thought, “If I can’t have her, no one else can either,” he told the parole board in 2021. Then he thought, “I’m going to kill Julie,” and loaded the gun. to his truck.

After he picked her up from Whitman around 9 p.m., he drove her around the neighborhood discussing their relationship.

When Woodworth realized Harlow wouldn’t change her mind about the breakup, he shot her several times, the parole board said. He then drove around southeastern Massachusetts for hours with her body next to him.

The next morning, around 5:30 a.m., Woodworth pulled into his parents’ driveway in Easton. He then drank paint thinner before shooting himself in the chest, the parole board found.

Woodworth’s father heard the gunshot in his home and went outside, the parole board said. When he saw his son in the truck with Harlow’s body, he called 911.

Woodworth was taken to hospital and Harlow died.

Woodworth pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on March 19, 1992, in the Supreme Court in Bristol.

He was denied parole in 2006, 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2021.

During his final hearing, Woodworth spoke about his abandonment issues: the parole board said. He described how being placed for adoption by his biological mother caused him to become “clingy”, possessive and controlling in relationships. Nevertheless, Woodworth admitted that his behavior was abusive.

Woodworth’s family testified in support of his parole in 2021. Ultimately, the commission rejected his application.

Since her last hearing, Woodworth has completed several rehabilitation programs, including one for domestic violence and another for family relationships.

The board also noted other areas for improvement, such as Woodworth’s medication use. He also had only two disciplinary reports in 33 years.