The family of a teenage girl who was beaten to death more than 30 years ago in Groveland, Massachusetts, is fighting against her killer's pursuit of parole.
Richard Baldwin was convicted in the murder of 15-year-old Beth Brodie after he attacked her with a baseball bat in 1992.
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As Baldwin walked into his parole hearing on Thursday afternoon, a sea of public was there in support of Brodie.
"To actually see him in person, it tears at you pretty good," said Sean Aylward, Brodie's brother.
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Baldwin was sentenced to life in prison without parole, but a later ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled juvenile offenders, like Baldwin, must be offered a chance at parole.
"I understand what I did was unforgivable, and in 31 years since my crime, I have not been able to forgive myself, and I am profoundly sorry for what I did to Beth and her family," Baldwin told the parole board.
During the hearing, Baldwin told the commissioners he was drunk and high on Xanax when he attacked Baldwin, only killing her, he said, because he felt bad she was in pain. He added that he was mad she wouldn't return a ring he had given her when they were previously dating.
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"To try to make it seem like it was her fault for not running away … or not being scared, to hell with him, straight to hell with him for everything," Aylward said.
The hourslong hearing was tense. Baldwin did not testify during his original hearing and did not seek parole when he was eligible in 2014 or 2019. This was the first chance Brodie's family had heard straight from him since that day.
"We are here to speak for Beth today and make sure she is remembered and make sure we can return justice to her, and I really don't care what he has to say or any of his defenses or accomplishments she was never able to make," Aylward said. "It is all about her today. Even though it is his hearing, we are all about justice for Beth."
Her father, Stephen Brodie, told NBC10 Boston Wednesday that the possibility of Baldwin being paroled is upsetting.
"[If] he gets out of jail, he can continue the rest of his life," he said. "Get married, have kids. She was denied all of that. He should never have a chance to enjoy the rest of his life."
Brodie's family says the parole board did not make any decisions on Thursday, and told the family most decisions take between six weeks and six months.
