On April 2, 1979, David Nasser was in a car with his mother, Claire Frances Nasser, who was driving to the Shenango Valley Mall in Hermitage.

For some reason, the car stopped on a sparsely populated road in Shenango Township, about a mile from his home. Nasser hit his 40-year-old mother on the head with a bottle, pulled her to the ground and choked her to death, leaving her body in the woods.

Nasser was on the first day of a four-day furlough from prison -- a program that was dropped shortly after the murder.

A paranoid schizophrenic, Nasser was not declared competent to stand trial until May 1982. He pleaded guilty Sept. 10, 1982, to third-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison.

"This was an extremely notorious case when it occurred," said Mercer County District Attorney James Epstein, who was an assistant DA at the time. "Over the years, it has been a subject of a lot of conversation. People are acutely aware of this case."

The talk has gotten louder with word that Nasser will get out of prison. Today, Nasser will complete his maximum sentence -- all 20 years of it.

But Nasser, 48, will not exactly be a free man. Because of his mental health history, Nasser, who said at his sentencing that he heard voices that said vulgar things to him, will be examined, and a determination made later about whether he will be released or some other course of action will be taken.

Epstein said he cannot discuss Nasser's current mental state, but has met with members of the West Middlesex-Shenango Township community to explain what could happen.

"They're very concerned," said the Rev. Donald Wilson, who knew Nasser and his mother. "They're fearful." Wilson is pastor of Lebanon Presbyterian Church.

Epstein said contingency plans have been developed should Nasser be released and return to Mercer County.

"We will take whatever steps we can to ensure the community that he is safe and the community is safe," Epstein said.

"I believe that," Rev. Wilson said of Epstein's statement. "I have the greatest of confidence in Mr. Epstein."

Part of the notoriety of the case stemmed from rumors that there was a hit list with the names of local people on it. Epstein said there was never any evidence such a list existed.

Wilson was purportedly on the list. He said he has no fear of Nasser.

"That's where faith comes in," he said.