Since the release of double-murderer Chad Campbell was announced,  residents, relatives of victims, the general public, and some local politicians have paid close attention.

While both Sheriff Rob Milby and District Attorney Christine Callanan were not required to be notified of his date of parole, nor the details of his new housing arrangements or restrictions, both were concerned after the number of calls coming in were vehement about his not returning to Wayne County.

The news, late last week, that Campbell was being sent to the Budget Inn, off Route 104 in the Town of Ontario, sent up even bigger flares.

The original release was to be made in Brooklyn, New York. When that housing facility refused to accept him, due to the nature of his crimes and the public safety of the area, the Parole Board set his release for the Budget Inn on Route 104 in the Town of Ontario, in Wayne County,  just east of the Monroe County line.

Ben Aman, Supervisor for the Town of Ontario, having heard rumors of the housing situation in his town and noting the volume of calls coming in to his office, took it to heart, and decided to try to do something - anything - in response.

“It was discussed briefly at the County’s March Human Services Committee and the consensus was that we could not override the NYS Department of Parole. It was their call.

I hoped that more could be done, and began speaking to many agencies around the county. The DA and Sheriff explained that they were not privy to  his parole info,”said Aman.

Both Sheriff Milby and DA Callanan did look into what the conditions of parole are and if there were specific restrictions on Campbell.

According to DA Christine Callanan: “Here were some conditions that I could find for him. This is not a complete list and there were redactions. This is not an exact representation of all conditions of his release just those contained in the decision rendered by the Board. (See restriction below),

Aman noted that both Senator Pam Helming and Assemblyman Brian Manktelow were aware of the situation  and were encouraging callers to contact the New York State Parole Board.

“There just did not seem to be any movement, and I did not want to take that as the final answer.” Aman told himself several times, “I should just pick up the phone and appeal to the Budget Inn.”  He felt that, if the owners knew the nature of Campbell’s crimes and the public safety threat, then they might also consider what the Brooklyn facility did.

Supervisor Aman, finally did the most straight forward thing - he called Patel Knunal, owner of the Budget Inn and inquired about the placement of Campbell at his facility. The owner told him that he did indeed have an order for a placement of housing for Chad Campbell. “I asked if he was aware of the crimes that Campbell had committed. Since he did not, I offered to tell him the horrid details of the August 1990 double murder of 15 year old Cindy Lewis and 17 month old Curtis Rizzo, and the rape charge on the unsuspecting female victim. Both victims were stabbed and left for dead. It really was something that rocked the community back then,” said Aman.

Due to this information and the plea for public safety, Knunal said he would “Cancel the Reservation” for Chad Campbell to the Budget Inn.”

The owner was very cooperative and responsive, and when Aman asked if he could get confirmation that Campbell’s reservation of housing at the Budget Inn would be cancelled, he got it.

The Sheriff noted his side of the issue. “Ben called me and I was thrilled that the venue had been changed now to somewhere in Erie County”. We both put immediate statements up on social media.”

Milby’s statement briefly read: “The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed, through NYS Parole, that Chad Campbell will NOT be paroled to Wayne County. He will be paroled to Erie County. The Sheriff’s Office reports that the decision was influenced by the overwhelming public outcry from Wayne County citizens.”

A statement on the Town of Ontario website reads: “The Town of Ontario announces that it has successfully worked to rescind housing arrangements for Chad Campbell at the Budget Inn within the Town. This outcome was made possible through coordination and collaboration with several agencies and officials, including the Wayne County Sheriffs Office, the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office, Senator Pam Helming, Assemblyman Brian Manktelow, the New York State Parole Office, and the owner of the Budget Inn. Through these cooperative efforts, the Town was able to successfully redirect Mr. Campbell’s housing placement outside of Ontario.  The Town of Ontario would also like to extend its sincere thanks to the residents and community members who expressed their concerns and stayed engaged throughout the process. Community input played an important role in helping achieve this positive outcome.  The Town remains committed to working with residents, local officials, and partner agencies to ensure the safety and well-being of the Ontario community.”

District Attorney Christine Callanan responded: “When my office received notification that Campbell was getting released to Wayne County, the Sheriff and I discussed potential options on how to address it. Sheriff Milby took the lead on contacting Parole to discuss the placement in Wayne County and additional support that law enforcement could provide. I also spoke with Supervisor Aman about the situation, the possible conditions of parole and working with the Sheriff. The work of Sheriff Milby and Supervisor Aman along with the public outcry resulted in the Chad Campbell’s release being moved to Erie County.”  “I hope that this is the last we hear of Chad Campbell,”  said DA Callanan 

“That he goes to Erie County and finds some way to proceed with some life, even though I don’t believe that’s the appropriate place for him.” The Budget Inn owner was very cooperative and responsive, and when I asked him for confirmation that he would take Campbell of his reservations, he agreed,” Aman responded.

There have been initial reports that citizens in Erie County area, where Campbell has been placed, have also raised concerns after his Thursday release.