like rolon, donovan was 17 at the time of his crime, but unlike rolon, joe donovan hadn't actually killed anyone himself. joe donovan was first sent to maximum-security prison in the early 1990s before landing here, at this medium-security facility in shirley, massachusetts. >> will you just say your name and... >> narrator: a filmmaker who knew donovan in high school shot this interview in 2013, trying to bring attention to the story. >> my name is joseph donovan. my commitment number is w55313. i'm at shirley medium prison doing a natural life sentence. >> narrator: joe donovan's road to life without parole began with some drunken words and a violent assault on two college kids walking near the mit campus. the night ended with the stabbing of a 19-year old mit student from norway. >> random violence has left an mit student dead after a scuffle with three teenagers. he died last night from a stab wound to the heart, outside... >> i was told that my brother had been in a fight, and he's been killed. it was quite a shock. it takes some time before it sinks in. my brother never fought any f

rolon. i'm chairman of the parole board. we had here today to consider your petition for parole for a first-degree murder sentence for stabbing and killing bobby bothelo on january 21... >>imented to have respect for the family, so i didn't want to lock over there, but i went there with the purpose of having that opportunity to just say, "i'm sorry." it's time to speak the truth. it's time to say what happened. it's time to own up. after being convicted of take mr. bothelo's life, i told his mother that i didn't kill her son. for the past 18 years and six months, mr. bothelo's mother has deserved from me to speak the truth. by saying that it was me who killed her son, that i'm sorry for creating the pain that is in her heart. >> woodruff: "frontline" airs tonight on most pbs stations. and that's the newshour for tonight. for all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you and we'll see you soon. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> bnsf railway. >> the ford foundation. working with visionaries on the front