Todd Scott is one of four men convicted of the 1988 execution-style murder of rookie NYPD Officer Edward Byrne in South Jamaica, Queens. He was 20 years old at the time of the killing, was convicted of second-degree murder and weapons charges, and was sentenced to 25 years to life. He remains at the maximum-security Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Ulster County, New York, and has been denied parole at every hearing since he first became eligible in 2013.1NBCNewYork. Man Convicted of Execution-Style Killing of Rookie NYPD Officer in 1988 Denied Parole
Scott’s Role in the Byrne Killing
On February 26, 1988, Officer Byrne, 22 and about a month on the job, was sitting alone in a marked cruiser guarding the home of a witness scheduled to testify in a narcotics case. Scott walked up to the passenger side of the car and knocked on the window to distract him. While Byrne turned toward the knock, another member of the crew fired five shots into his head at point-blank range.2New York Post. Todd Scott Denied Parole in NYPD Officer Edward Byrne Slaying
According to trial testimony, Scott had told the group the night before, “We have to kill a police officer,” and the others nodded in agreement.3UPI. Witness Tells How Alleged Cop Killers Plotted Kenneth Byrne, the slain officer’s brother, has said the men’s own voluntary confessions describe the crew drawing straws to determine who would pull the trigger.4ABC7 New York. NYPD Officer Edward Byrne’s Murderer Up for Parole
The Contract Behind the Murder
The killing was ordered from jail by Howard “Pappy” Mason, a drug boss who wanted to send a message to law enforcement after his own arrest a day earlier. Mason paid a crew of four young men $8,000, split among them, to kill an officer. Scott was one of the four. The others were Scott Cobb, then 25, who drove the group to the scene; Philip Copeland, 22; and David McClary, 22.5UPI. The Young Men Charged With Killing a Rookie Policeman
Mason was tried separately in federal court and sentenced to life in January 1994. The Second Circuit affirmed his conviction in 1995,6FindLaw. United States v. Mason and he was still serving that sentence as of 2022.7New York Post. Keep Ruthless Queens Gang Leader Lorenzo Fat Cat Nichols Behind Bars
Trial and Sentence
Scott, Cobb, and Copeland were tried together in Queens Supreme Court beginning in early 1989. Because the defendants had made statements to authorities accusing one another, two separate juries were seated for the joint trial. McClary was tried separately.5UPI. The Young Men Charged With Killing a Rookie Policeman
Prosecutors played videotaped statements in which Scott described the slaying, and Cobb confirmed that Mason had ordered the killing of a police officer. All four defendants were convicted of second-degree murder and weapons charges. Each received 25 years to life.3UPI. Witness Tells How Alleged Cop Killers Plotted
Parole Denials and the Next Hearing
Scott became parole-eligible in 2013 and has been turned down every time he has appeared. His most recent denial was issued on January 23, 2024, and he was returned to Shawangunk. His next appearance before the New York State Board of Parole was scheduled for August 2025.8NY1. Man Convicted of Execution-Style Killing of NYPD Officer in 1988 Denied Parole
Ahead of that hearing, the NYC Detectives’ Endowment Association ran a public letter-writing drive urging the parole board to keep Scott behind bars, with submission deadlines of August 13 and August 31, 2025. The union directed opposition letters to the Shawangunk Correctional Facility.9NYC Detectives’ Endowment Association. Help Keep the Killer of Edward Byrne in Prison for Life
Where the Three Co-Defendants Stand
Of the four convicted killers, only Scott Cobb has been released. The parole board granted his petition in July 2023 after he had served 34 years, much of it in federal custody under a cooperation deal to testify against Mason. The Police Benevolent Association called the release “especially outrageous,” and PBA President Patrick Hendry said the Byrne family had not been notified of the release date. The family was described as devastated.10New York Post. Getaway Driver in 1988 Assassination of NYPD Officer Eddie Byrne Granted Parole
David McClary appeared for his eighth parole hearing on July 22, 2025, and was denied. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz opposed his release and noted that McClary “claims he is still incarcerated due to politics rather than the nature of his role in this egregious crime.”11Queens Gazette. Byrne Assassin in 8th Parole Bid The PBA collected 17,000 petitions against his release.4ABC7 New York. NYPD Officer Edward Byrne’s Murderer Up for Parole McClary was returned to Wende Prison in Erie County and is scheduled to be eligible again in 2026.12Yahoo News. Notorious NYPD Cop Killer David McClary Denied Parole
Philip Copeland has been held at the Attica Correctional Facility and was scheduled for a parole hearing in November 2024.13Queens Chronicle. Byrne Killer Is Denied Parole The Detectives’ Endowment Association ran a parallel letter campaign against his release.14NYC Detectives’ Endowment Association. Help Keep the Killer of P.O. Byrne in Prison for Life
The Opposition That Shapes Every Hearing
Every hearing in the Byrne case draws coordinated opposition from police unions, prosecutors, and elected officials. U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer has repeatedly urged the board to deny release.15U.S. Senate. Schumer: Cold-Blooded Murderers Must Again Be Denied Parole PBA President Hendry has stated the union’s position plainly: “If you murder a New York City police officer, you must live out the rest of your days in a prison cell.” Kenneth Byrne has said the biennial hearings force his family to “relive everything” every two years and told reporters after Scott’s most recent denial: “The best way to honor my brother’s sacrifice is to keep showing that there is no redemption for those who kill police officers.”2New York Post. Todd Scott Denied Parole in NYPD Officer Edward Byrne Slaying
Not all voices align with the opposition. When Cobb was released in 2023, Jose Saldana of the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign said “the purpose of parole is to evaluate people for release based on who they are today,” adding that the group values “redemption and human transformation.”16PIX11. Getaway Driver in NYPD Officer Execution Released From Prison For Scott, that argument has not yet moved the board.