A man who brutally beat a former West Virginia University student will remain behind bars.
Austin Vantrease, who nearly killed Ryan Diviney in an attack in Nov. 2009, was denied parole Tuesday.
Vantrease is locked up at the Huttonsville Correctional Facility after being sentenced to two to 10 years in prison for his role in the attack.
Ken Diviney, Ryan’s father, told WAJR Tuesday that he was "greatly relieved" about the parole board’s decision.
"He’s a violent offender by any measure," Diviney said. "He doesn’t have the support system in place to parole him out to society."
Diviney attended Tuesday’s hearing to speak about the case and what his family has gone through. He told WAJR that the parole board had hundreds of letters in support of Ryan asking for Vantrease to remain locked up.
"One of the things that was most impressive was that they held up a stack of letters from people in the community, and said it was the most they’ve ever received," Diviney said.
Ever since the beating, Ryan Diviney has been in a coma-like state and struggling to survive. His condition has not improved recently, Ken Diviney said.
"We are still dealing with ongoing issues," Diviney said. "Last week, we had to get his eyes sewn shut." Diviney said Ryan lost the ability to blink and without sewing the eyes shut, Ryan may have been at risk of losing his eyes. Ryan’s vital signs are OK, but not ideal, his father said.
Ken Diviney said he expects to be at the parole hearing next year for Vantrease. He said he plans to continue talking about the case and Ryan’s story.
"I can’t believe the continued support and outpouring that Ryan receives," Diviney said. "Much of it comes from West Virginia. They accepted Ryan as one of their own, and they’re looking out for him."
Another man, Jonathan May, was convicted of a misdemeanor charge in the beating.
Anyone looking to help Ryan and his family can visit ryansrally.org.