After serving nearly 20 years in prison for stabbing his friend to death at a Billerica home in 2004, a Massachusetts man was granted release last month by the state’s Parole Board following his third appearance in October 2025.
James Demont was convicted of second-degree murder after he pleaded guilty in August 2006 in Middlesex Superior Court for the death of Juan Salazar, 39.
He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, which was previously denied after an initial 2019 hearing and a 2023 review hearing. Demont was granted parole on March 12, following his review hearing on Oct. 30, 2025.
What happened in 2004?
Demont was 31 when he killed Salazar, according to the Board’s decision. On Nov. 18, 2004, a 911 caller reported a stabbing at 114 Treble Cove Rd. in Billerica and said the victim still had the knife in his chest…