BRIDGEPORT, Conn — Editor's Note: The story has been updated to reflect that Adrian Peeler was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.
A federal judge has ruled that a Connecticut man convicted in the 1999 killings of an 8-year-old murder witness and the boy’s mother will not be getting out of prison anytime soon.
Hearst Connecticut Media reports Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven rejected Adrian Peeler's request to be released as early as next month. The victims’ relatives pleaded that he be kept locked up.
RELATED: Prosecutors fight sentence reduction for Adrian Peeler, convicted of killing a boy and his mother
Peeler is serving a 25-year state prison sentence for murder conspiracy in the 1999 killings of an 8-year-old murder trial witness, Leroy "B.J." Brown, and the boy's mother, Karen Clarke. That sentence ends next month and is supposed to be followed by a 35-year federal prison sentence for drug dealing.
Clarke and Brown were found shot to death in their home, just days before the boy was set to testify in a shooting case. Brown had witnessed the shooting of rival drug dealer Rudolph Snead by Russell Peeler Jr. He was Adrian Peeler's brother.
Russell Peeler was convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to death for ordering the killings. His sentence was changed to life in prison when the death penalty was repealed.
Adrian Peeler's 25-year state murder conspiracy sentence is set to end next month. He asked that a 35-year consecutive federal sentence for drug dealing be reduced to time served in state prison.
Arterton did reduce the federal sentence to 15 years.
Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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