CHESAPEAKE - The family of a teenager who was murdered in 1988 are upset that the man who confessed to the killing is now free.

The family of Kevin &uot;Kippie&uot; Bellomy said that they are equally upset that the Ohio Parole Board gave them less than a 24-hour notice that Mark A. &uot;Tony&uot; Dailey had been released from prison.

Dailey pleaded guilty in 1988 to killing Bellomy at the Lawrence Village Apartments in October 1987. He was sentenced to 10-25 years, which was served at the Pickaway Correctional Institute.

Marci Bellomy, Kevin Bellomy’s sister, said her family received notification this summer that Dailey was up for parole later in the year. In an effort to prevent his release, they went before one member of the parole board and asked Chesapeake attorney Richard Myers to represent the family at the hearing. Myers had been Lawrence County Prosecutor during the time of Kevin Bellomy’s death and Dailey’s eventual plea.

In October, Bellomy attended a hearing on Dailey’s requested release. On Dec. 9, the Bellomy family received a letter from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, informing them that Dailey would be granted parole &uot;on or after Dec. 15.&uot;

Bellomy said family members called the Office of Victims Services, asking for help in keeping Dailey behind bars. She said they faxed a letter to that office the same day to ask for a full parole board hearing, in hopes the full parole board would consider keeping Dailey behind bars.

On Wednesday, the Bellomy family received a phone call informing them that Dailey was being paroled Thursday, had been assigned a parole officer and would be living in Proctorville with family members.

Bellomy said the system seems to favor the inmate over the victim or the victim’s family.

&uot;We got a letter six days before he was to be granted parole,&uot; Bellomy said. &uot;I’m upset they’re treating us like we’re on trial or something. They’re not doing anything for us.&uot;

Andrea Dean, public affairs chief for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, said Dailey has been up for parole three other times but had been denied. As for the notification, Dean said the Bellomy family should have gotten a letter sometime in late December of early January informing them of Dailey’s parole. Dean said her records indicate a letter was sent.

&uot;It appears we did everything right,&uot; Dean said.

Karin Ho, with the Office of Victims Services, said the full board usually declines to have a hearing if no new evidence is to be presented.

Attempts were made to contact Dailey’s family in Lawrence County about his future plans. Dailey’s father, Don Dailey, has an unlisted phone number, according to directory assistance and other family members are not listed as having landline phones.