Great Lakes Wire

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has taken legal action to challenge the parole of Marcos Garcia Rayos, who is currently held at the Saginaw Correctional Facility in Freeland. Rayos, aged 45, was scheduled for release on April 24, 2025. The emergency appeal was filed in the 30th Circuit Court in Ingham County.

In 1999, Rayos and an accomplice were involved in the fatal shooting of Isaac Rivera, a 15-year-old boy, in Lansing. At that time, Rayos had just been released from jail after serving sentences for breaking into a motor vehicle and possession of narcotics. In 2000, he pled guilty to Second-Degree Murder as a habitual offender and received a sentence of 25-50 years.

During his incarceration, Rayos accumulated 72 misconduct offenses and spent considerable time in administrative segregation due to his behavior. He remained classified at level IV security for much of his sentence.

The Parole Board granted parole to Rayos on January 2, 2025. This decision prompted Attorney General Nessel to file an emergency appeal on behalf of Rivera's sister. "Mr. Rayos has only served just slightly more than his minimum term of incarceration relative to his significant sentence for the brutal killing of a 15-year-old boy," said Nessel. "In our assessment, and that of the family of the boy he murdered, Rayos has not demonstrated proper rehabilitation, nor has he yet served an appropriate sentence for the crime he committed. He is not a suitable prisoner for the privileges of parole, and so we have filed an appeal of this decision to end his incarceration."

Nessel contends that the Parole Board's decision should be overturned.