Band manager seeks parole

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The former rock band tour manager whose pyrotechnics ignited a nightclub fire that killed 100 people is scheduled for a parole hearing on Sept. 19 that could result in his early release from prison, the chairwoman of the parole board said Tuesday.

Daniel Biechele will become eligible for parole in September after serving 16 months, or one third of his four-year prison sentence.

He pleaded guilty last year to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter for his role in the Feb. 20, 2003, fire. The blaze began when Biechele lit pyrotechnics at the start of a concert for the metal band Great White at The Station nightclub in West Warwick. The display set fire to flammable foam on the walls and raced through the one-story roadhouse.

A four-member panel of the parole board will meet with Biechele at the state prison, said Lisa Holley, chairwoman of the parole board. Victims' relatives will have a separate hearing scheduled for Sept. 5, she said.

The board weighs factors such as an inmate's remorse, risk of reoffending and plans for life after prison. It has the option of granting immediate parole; granting parole but assigning a future release date; denying parole but scheduling another hearing; or denying parole altogether.

Biechele's attorney, Thomas Briody, declined to comment.

Biechele tearfully apologized to victims' relatives at the end of his sentencing hearing, saying he never intended for anyone to be harmed and wasn't sure he could forgive himself.

Some victims' family members expressed ambivalence about the prospect of an early release, saying they hold Biechele less responsible than the club owners, who are blamed for installing flammable foam as soundproofing. Owner Michael Derderian is serving a four-year term; his brother Jeff Derderian received a suspended sentence with community service and probation.

"I just don't see investing the same amount of emotion into his being released than I do for the Derderians," said James Gahan, whose son Jimmy, 21, was killed. "That was the real miscarriage."