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DA ‘outraged’ at parole of man who killed South Shore teen in 1967
“I am outraged that once again, the state Parole Board has chosen to grant parole to a murder defendant,” Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz said in a statement.
Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz says he is “outraged” that a man who fatally shot a 15-year-old girl in Hingham in 1967 has been granted parole.
“I am outraged that once again, the state Parole Board has chosen to grant parole to a murder defendant,” Cruz said in a statement.
In March 1967, Roger Francis, now 78, shot and killed Marialice Pike, whose body was found by a Massachusetts State Trooper in the median strip on Route 3, according to parole board documents. Pike, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds, succumbed to her injuries.
After the shooting, Francis fled to Canada, leaving his vehicle behind, according to the board. Inside, authorities found evidence linking Francis to the murder, including blood stains and bullet fragments.
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When Francis was apprehended in Canada, he told police, “I’ve been expecting you fellows,” the document said.
Francis was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with Pike’s death, receiving the mandatory penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole upon conviction, the ruling said.
However, Francis became eligible for parole following a Supreme Judicial Court decision holding that sentencing individuals who were between the ages of 18 and 20 at the time of the offense to life without the possibility of parole is unconstitutional, according to the ruling.
“Where a parole candidate was convicted of first-degree murder for a crime committed when he was ages 18 through 20 years old, the Board considers the ‘unique aspects’ of emerging adulthood that distinguish emerging adult offenders from older offenders,” the ruling showed.
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“The SJC has determined that life without parole is unconstitutional for individuals aged 20 and younger at the time of their crime,” Melissa Celli, Francis’ lawyer, told The Boston Globe in a statement. “In so doing, they recognized that even people who committed violent crimes at those young ages have the potential to rehabilitate themselves.”
However, Cruz said his office “stood firm” in opposing Francis’ petition for parole.
“Francis may have been 20 years old when he killed Marialice, but the callousness he showed during and after her murder make clear that his release is not a benefit to our community,” Cruz said. “Francis viciously shot and killed Marialice before fleeing the country in March 1967, showing a clear consciousness of the severity of his actions and a fear of the consequences.”
In the decision from the board, members wrote that Francis appeared to be “struggling with serious mental issues prior to the offense,” noting that his incarceration included psychiatric hospitalizations and varying treatment interventions.
Francis’s initial first-degree murder conviction, in November of 1967, was overturned in 1990 over improper jury instructions. He was out on bail for 13 years before being convicted again on June 17, 2003, the board said.
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Francis has had an “extraordinarily positive adjustment throughout his incarceration, with no disciplinary reports, and has held positions of great trust,” the ruling said, which the board concluded made his “release compatible with the welfare of society.”
The board ordered Francis to abide by several conditions, including participating in mental health counseling, abstaining from alcohol, and refraining from contacting Pike’s family.
“Instead of unanimously deciding that Francis is rehabilitated and ready to release into society, I call upon the Parole Board to instead consider their obligations to victims like Marialice and their families, before allowing people like Francis to walk among us,” Cruz said.
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