'Party Monster' Michael Alig to be released from prison

Michael Alig, the Club Kid turned convicted murderer, will be released from prison May 5, New York reports. Alig was portrayed by Macaulay Culkin in 2003's Party Monster, which chronicled Alig's rise through the New York club scene — and then his fall after killing roommate and drug dealer Angel Melendez in 1996.

The news was broken by Alig's friend, Steve Lewis, at BlackBook. "Michael has never used a computer or cell phone but he has remained keenly aware of the world we live in," he wrote. "There is no chance that he will return to clubs as a way of life, but he will paint and write, and as always, try to impact the way we think."

Alig has been eligible for parole since 2006. There is no word on what he will do upon his release, but in 2007, Alig told New York’s Jonathan Van Meter that he has the ability to "become a Larry Tee or a RuPaul, one of the successful ones who is able to lead a creative, artistic, even edgy lifestyle." --Catherine Garcia

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up