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UTAH STATE PRISON — A man who was just 17 when he was convicted of murder and given a life prison sentence more than 20 years ago is seeking a second chance.
In 1999, brothers Terril Hollin Calliham and Jordan Vance Calliham, of Dove Creek, Colorado, drove to Utah and shot their friend 19 times after arguing over $300 worth of drugs and money. The shooting happened in a wooded area near Monticello. The body of James Eaton, 18, was found six days later by a passing motorist.
The brothers were both convicted of murder and sentenced in 2000 to terms of five years to life in the Utah State Prison.
Jordan Calliham was 16 when he committed the killing and 17 by the time he was sentenced to prison. Terril Calliham was 19 at the time of the shooting.
Jordan Calliham's parole hearing was originally scheduled for 2024. But it was moved up after a review of the case that took his age at the time of the offense into account.
In a recording of the hearing held April 19, Calliham explained to board member Greg Johnson that in 1999, he and his brother were involved in what he called "ridiculousness" and "kind of screwing around" most of the time, which included low-level drug sales.
"At the time we thought we were cool," he said.
Calliham, now 39, said he got "caught up with the wrong group" and made some "real bad, dumb decisions."
It was at that time that the brothers thought Eaton had stolen $300 worth of methamphetamine from them. The brothers, without putting a lot of thought into it, decided they would kill Eaton, because they thought that's just what they were supposed to do, Calliham attempted to explain.
"Looking back now, back then it was just, I don't even know. I think, now, over all the years of me just trying to figure out what the hell I was doing, just trying to be cool, thinking that was a cool thing, thinking that was something that other people would do, and just not really thinking it through," he said.
Whether they were influenced by movies, music or the environment they were in, Calliham said based on his perceptions at the time, shooting his friend seemed like the appropriate response.
After he was convicted, Calliham called it "scary" to be sent to prison at such a young age.
"I was scared and just real antsy and nervous about everything and got into a lot of stuff I probably shouldn't have," he said.
Calliham admitted that when he first got to prison, he dealt with situations by getting into fights, causing him to spend several years in maximum security. Johnson concurred during the hearing that Calliham has a "long disciplinary record" at the prison starting in 2000.
But in more recent years, Johnson noted that Calliham's disciplinary problems have greatly improved. Calliham attributes his behavior switch to the life skills classes he has taken while in prison and learning to be less selfish and how to care for people and things other than himself. Furthermore, he said he is no longer part of the gang he joined after arriving in prison.
Johnson also noted that Calliham has an above-average IQ, as determined through professional evaluations at the prison, and that he could still accomplish a lot in life if is he granted parole. But he has to learn to make positive connections in the outside world.
No one representing Eaton's family was present at the hearing. Calliham stated that if someone had been there, "I'd apologize to them. (I) took someone that they loved."
He said he had had interactions with Eaton's grandfather prior to the murder, and he had always been willing to help him.
"I felt real bad for him. He came to some of the court hearings. To see the devastation it was to him was hurtful — real hurtful. And just the decisions I made to think that I had control over somebody's life was wrong," he said.
Calliham concluded the hearing by again noting that his disciplinary problems at the prison have "significantly dropped" in recent years in both "frequency and severity."
"I've worked really hard at changing my life around," he said.
The full five-member board will now vote whether to grant parole.
Calliham said he has had some correspondence with his brother over the years while in prison when corrections officials allow it.
Terril Calliham's first parole hearing is still scheduled for 2024.
