The Office of the Governor of the State of Washington
03/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/04/2026 19:07
Governor Ferguson cancels parole for serial rapist
March 04, 2026
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OLYMPIA - Governor Bob Ferguson has canceled the parole granted to Billy Van Court by the Department of Corrections' Indeterminate Sentence Review Board.
Van Court has a lengthy history of serious and violent crimes, including multiple forcible rapes at knifepoint. In 1983, after absconding from parole on several occasions, he went on a sexual crime spree, attacking at least six victims - both adult women and young girls aged 12 and 13.
In 2023, after Van Court had served approximately four decades of a life sentence, the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board found him parolable and released him to parole supervision. In January 2025, he absconded from parole yet again. Van Court fled to Oregon and destroyed his phone to avoid being tracked - and as a result the Board revoked his parole. But the Board again found him parolable in October 2025, and issued a parole order in February 2026.
Yesterday, Governor Ferguson canceled that parole order, ensuring that Van Court will remain incarcerated. The Board will conduct further proceedings consistent with the Governor's order.
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