Biden grants clemency to drug dealer convicted double slaying of 8-year-old boy and his mom, sparking outrage from even Democrats

A Connecticut drug kingpin convicted in the deaths of an 8-year-old boy and his mother was granted clemency by former President Joe Biden — in a stunning 11th-hour move slammed by fellow Democrats.Adrian Peeler, 48, of Bridgeport, served 25 years in state prison on conspiracy charges in the deaths of Karen Clarke and her 8-year-old son, Leroy “BJ” Brown, in January 1999, CT Mirror reported.The two had been slated to testify a month later against Peeler’s brother, fellow drug gang leader Russell Peeler, who was on trial for killing Clarke’s boyfriend and rival dealer Rudolf Snead, the Hartford Courant said.Little BJ had told cops that he and another boy were sitting in Snead’s car when Russell shot and wounded Snead in a 1997 drive-by, the outlet said.

Snead survived the attack but was later killed.To keep him from telling his story in court, Peeler allegedly ambushed the mom and son as they came back to their Bridgeport apartment, court documents said.Authorities found Brown face down at the top of the stairs, while Clarke was found shot to death in a nearby bedroom where she’d tried to call for help.

 But there was reportedly only one witness to the killings, and Peeler beat the murder and capital felony raps — but was convicted on the lesser charge of conspiracy to commit murder.Peeler served his 25 years on the conspiracy conviction, and was transferred to the federal prison system to serve out his 35-year sentence for dealing cocaine, which ran concurrently.On Friday, one of his final days in office, Biden commuted Peeler’s drug sentence, ordering him free on July 16, according to The Courant.The stunning move was met with immediate outrage.“We’ve been blindsided, where is the justice for my family?” Oswald Clarke, Karen Clarke’s brother, told CT Examiner.“It’s like we are hearing of BJ and Karen’s deaths all over again — but this time their killer is going free.”Even Democrats were shocked by the move.“It seems to me th...