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Woman sentenced to life in prison at 16-years-old gets chance for parole

Posted at 6:17 PM, Mar 02, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-02 18:17:51-05

It's a potential new shot at freedom for a woman who was convicted of killing an elderly man in Pontiac nearly 25 years ago.

Jennifer Pruitt was 16-years-old when she was sentenced to life in prison without parole, but that was changed during a court hearing today.

The grandkids of Elmer Heichel had strong reactions during a resentencing of the woman convicted of killing their 75-year-old grandfather in 1992.

She's now 41-years-old.

The US Supreme Court ruled last year that life sentences for juveniles without the chance of parole is unconstitutional.

She was 16 when, investigators say, she set up her neighbor during the fatal stabbing.

She was resentenced today to 30 to 60 years behind bars, already serving nearly 25.

It was another woman who did the actual killing.

Heichel's family has mixed reactions on the outcome this afternoon, some are not ready to forgive.

She can now be up for parole in 2022.

We're told 12 other women in Michigan are facing similar situations.

Pruitt's supporters say she has made a change while in prison, getting an education and counseling other inmates.