A man serving a life sentence for fatally shooting his 22-year-old girlfriend in 1991 in southeastern Massachusetts after she ended their relationship was granted parole Tuesday after his five prior requests for release were denied, records show.

Steven Woodworth, now 59, was paroled to a halfway house after six months in a lower-security prison, according to the Parole Board’s decision.

He was 25 when he shot Julie Harlow “multiple times” on March 21, 1991, according to the ruling. Four of Harlow’s relatives and a prosecutor testified against Woodworth’s parole request at his June hearing, records show.

Harlow had told Woodworth their relationship had ended and he convinced her to take a drive so they could talk, according to the ruling. He picked her up from her Whitman home around 9 p.m. and they drove “to discuss their relationship,” the board said.

Woodworth repeatedly shot Harlow once he realized she wasn’t changing her mind, then drove across the southeastern part of the state “with her body beside him,” according to the decision.

The grisly journey didn’t end until around 5:30 a.m. the next morning, when Woodworth pulled into the driveway of his parents’ Easton residence, drank paint thinner and shot himself in the chest , according to the judgment.

Woodworth’s father heard the gunshot from inside the house, went outside to investigate and found his son injured and the young woman he had killed, according to the decision. His father called 911.

Woodworth pleaded guilty in March 1992 to second-degree murder, punishable by up to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 to 25 years in prison.

His previous requests for parole were denied in 2006, 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2021, according to Tuesday’s ruling, which noted a number of programs he participated in while incarcerated.

“Since the last hearing, Mr. Woodworth has invested significantly in rehabilitation programs, including programs recommended by the Commission,” the judgment states. “Specifically, he completed domestic violence programs, 68 RTU (residential treatment unit) programs, five cycles of family relations and communications.

He also takes his medication as prescribed, according to the ruling.

“He has also been compliant with his medications and has a low risk LSCMI score,” the judgment said, referring to an acronym designating an offender’s level of service and case management needs.

Additionally, the decision states that Woodworth had only two disciplinary reports during his more than 33 years of incarceration, as well as “strong family support.”

Under the terms of his parole, he will have to maintain a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. as part of a “long-term residential program”, submit to electronic monitoring and have no contact with the police. family of Harlow, among other conditions.

“The Board concludes by unanimous decision that Steven Woodworth has demonstrated a level of rehabilitation that would make his release compatible with the well-being of society,” the judgment states.

Travis Andersen can be contacted at [email protected].