News

Board denies parole for Atmore, Brewton men

Nolan
Knighten

By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer

The Alabama Board of Pardons & Paroles recently denied parole for an Atmore man and a Brewton man, each of whom is serving a 20-year sentence.
Derrick Gene Knighten of Atmore was convicted in 2020 of manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and altering the identification number of a pistol.
An Atmore Police Department traffic stop along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive resulted in the discovery of the pistol, which Knighten was prohibited to have because of a prior felony conviction, and its altered ID number, as well several “precursor items” required for the manufacture of methamphetamine.
He also served a 3-year stint after a 2007 conviction on charges of manufacturing a controlled substance, criminal possession of a forged instrument and second-degree receiving stolen property.
Currently housed at Elmore Correctional Facility, Knighten had served 4 years, 2 months and 29 days on March 30, the date of his hearing. His minimum release date without pardon or parole is December 28, 2033.
Also denied parole was Darryl Van Nolan, who was sentenced in 2017 after his conviction on two counts of felony driving under the influence and one count of first-degree escape. The Brewton man had served 6 years, 7 months and 27 days on April 5, when his case was considered.
Nolan, currently housed at Fountain Correctional Facility, will remain in prison until August 1, 2036, unless he is granted parole or a pardon.
Alabama Department of Corrections records show that Nolan also served all but a couple of days of a 2-year sentence he received in 2012 for a felony DUI conviction, and was paroled after serving almost 17 months of a 5-year sentence handed down in 1997 for a conviction on two counts of “Other Class C Felony.”