A Navy veteran, who asked to be identified only as Amy, is reeling after learning that the man convicted of her 1992 rape could be eligible for a parole hearing just months after his sentencing. Amy's cold case was solved last year through DNA evidence, leading to the arrest of Anthony Favors, 57.
In September 2025, Favors accepted a plea deal for two counts of rape, resulting in a 24-year prison sentence. Norfolk Judge Everett A. Martin Jr. ordered the sentences to be served consecutively. However, Amy recently received an automated alert indicating that the Virginia Parole Board is considering Favors for release.
"I finally get some sort of closure and justice. And then I get a text," Amy told Fox News Digital. "Nobody yet has told me how he's even eligible for parole."
Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi confirmed to Fox News Digital that Favors is likely to have a "discretionary parole hearing" in the coming months. Fatehi explained that a procedural technicality, stemming from a prior parole consideration for a different conviction, has opened the door for this review. "It’s discretionary because he had been locked up for so long. He is theoretically eligible," Fatehi said, though he added there is a "slim chance to zero" of Favors actually being released.
Amy stated that the attack, which occurred on Valentine's Day in 1992, significantly altered her life. She reported for duty on a Navy ship immediately after the assault. Decades later, she continues to struggle with PTSD, chronic sleep deprivation, and hypervigilance.
Heather Keeley, director of the advocacy group Stand Tall, criticized the parole board's potential review, stating that it forces victims to relive their trauma. "He was sentenced to 24 years in prison, which wouldn't even put him up for parole 12 years later," Keeley said. "And here it is less than six months later, and she's calling us all that she just received a text message that he's going before a parole board... how is that even possible?"
Amy fears that the parole board's actions could undermine public trust in the justice system and discourage other victims from reporting sexual assaults.
"If you're paroling these people, what incentives does that give somebody else?" she asked. "If they've been raped or sexually assaulted, what gives them the incentive to go and report it?"
Amy plans to request a three-year deferral from the parole board to avoid having to recount her traumatic experience annually, but feels compelled to speak out for herself and other victims.