{"id":86422,"date":"2026-01-01T11:09:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T11:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/86422\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T11:09:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T11:09:11","slug":"2-child-killers-gunman-in-drug-corner-dispute-among-staten-islanders-up-for-parole-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/86422\/","title":{"rendered":"2 child killers, gunman in drug corner dispute among Staten Islanders up for parole in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"FMECEG33VVHIZHNROAHBKQK2KA\">STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Several inmates serving out lengthy prison sentences for homicide cases on Staten Island are up for parole in 2026, while one man has just about served his time, state records show. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"I3Q5O4YRWJGOPGMZZBZOCLJLWM\">Among those being considered by board commissioners this year is a man who stated he was high on quaaludes when he murdered a 10-year-old girl in Oakwood; a gunman who police said was acting on a drug dispute outside his Stapleton apartment building, and a construction worker with a history of mental health issues who stabbed his actress girlfriend to death in West Brighton. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"OCBFKTCGRBEYHDJIJ4ZFS4IUTA\">In considering whether to grant an inmate conditional release, the New York State Parole Board wants to know, in part, how they plan to manage life with a felony record while staying away from criminal activity, according to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"BXLMVHDWLJCXRHCR6BARFPJSAE\">Board commissioners take into consideration letters sent on behalf of the parole applicant, along with any correspondence from family and friends of the victim. They also review the inmate\u2019s prison record, looking for participation in rehabilitative programs, or conversely any transgressions while incarcerated. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"D75DTYCHGVCWNC3QSZ4EPYHUVU\">Records show the following individuals are eligible for early release, or release, this year.<\/p>\n<p>Keith Vischio<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"QVOGSPHKGVGSDP3EYWPISSRE2M\">In May, the New York State Board of Parole is scheduled to interview a notorious killer on Staten Island about the possibility of conditional release.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"'I don't deserve parole,' killer of young girl in 1980 tells parole board\" class=\"article__image-content\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/LO2EO5MSONECVA5UV6P3E6RMJI.jpg\"  \/>Keith Vischio is seen in this photo from the Advance&#8217;s front page being taken into custody in July 1980 for the murder of Lorraine Pacifico, 10.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"4HMQ3S4CLRASZJ2JJFYBWARJKA\">Keith Vischio, now 65 years old, was convicted decades ago of murdering of a 10-year-old girl in Oakwood, near the Staten Island Railway tracks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"Y5OIP53S3BDJFBAJWQTI74CKMM\">The vicim, Lorraine Pacifico, was killed July 7, 1980, devastating her family and rocking the surrounding community.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"'I don't deserve parole,' killer of girl, 10, in 1980 tells state board\" class=\"article__image-content\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/S3YBGHFQLJDLHKTKBCQJECDJ5Q.jpg\"  \/>Keith Vischio, now 60, savagely slew Lorraine Pacifico, pictured, on July 7, 1980, in Oakwood. A state parole board once again refused to release him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"SUDVCZBFZRDNBFF3FCLSX7YMCE\">Family at the time said Lorraine was a gifted swimmer, and her mother dreamed that one day she could showcase her talent at the Olympic Games.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"26GY6R7ATRDKPNEQMME7I2Y6RQ\">Vischio is currently serving a sentence of 20 years to life at the Adirondack Correctional Facility in Ray Brook.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"2KEPFMHZRRHKTDAJULVQFESPOE\">At a previous parole board hearing in which the request ultimately was denied by the board, Vischio offered insight into his mindset that day. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"SHPDW4NQ5VGXVML6UZQWYBEPH4\">He said that in the hours prior to the killing, he quit his job as a clerk for a Manhattan stock-brokerage firm, and that he was high on quaaludes and had been drinking alcohol when he carried out the murder. <\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Keith Vischio\" class=\"article__image-content\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/T647S2CQEJBJTE3YIRHL7RVXKU.jpg\"  \/>Posing in this 2017 mugshot photo, notorious Staten Island killer Keith Vischio, now 65, is up for parole again in May. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"QMPTVX7I55BBXDSGCUCSRRZFXU\">In denying Vischio early release, parole board commissioners stated in one ruling:<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"VEQ2URDEJ5FX3GO2YZ4IZZKU4A\">\u201c\u2026 This panel is concerned with the violent nature of your murder offense as well as your ongoing course of conduct that you engaged in during and after the commission of your crime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"AB3BDYXUH5GVNL2TKEDCZLTHBQ\">\u201cA review of your records lead the panel to conclude that your release would be incompatible with the welfare of society&#8230;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jose Roman<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"XYV7UIOSZJFEBLYZZSGMR6LP5Q\">In 2005, a Bronx man was sentenced to 15 years of incarceration after pleading guilty to a fatal stabbing on Staten Island\u2019s North Shore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"LBUMJZEBGRBEPNP6H73RA2U3X4\">Jose Roman, now 52, was granted early release in 2018, but then violated parole and was sent back to prison on a sentence of 2 to 4 years. He\u2019s now scheduled for release in February 2026, state records show.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"OJBMBK2JVJBATITBQMO2JLYUGI\">The homicide unfolded near Birch Road and Yale Street in Mariners Harbor, according to Advance\/SILive.com archives. The victim, Raymond Saldana, was just steps from his home when he was killed. <\/p>\n<p>Leonard Wilson<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"FIKV7GPBLVEZHEGEPAGJIZHQWY\">Convicted of killing a man in 1999 outside a West Brighton apartment building, Leonard Wilson, of Stapleton, was denied parole in July after board members determining 25 years was not enough.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Leonard Wilson\" class=\"article__image-content\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GVYD3NOOGVETNFYSVARW3K63FA.png\"  \/>Prosecutors in the 2001 trial of Leonard Wilson said the defendant shot a man outside an apartment building on Hill Street in Stapleton, over the course of an attempted drug robbery.  Google Maps<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"3H5FCNBEEJCOVGI7CHVY6VNKPU\">This month, Wilson, now 51, is due up again for parole consideration, records show. He currently is serving a sentence of 25 years to life in the Woodbourne Correctional Facility. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"OHCGTEBJTFAI7B6HH6FJREYVWY\">The victim, Keith DeGroat, 23, of Elm Park, was found shot to death outside of his apartment building. Prosecutors at the time said the shooting was tied to the local drug trade. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"ZNLG3C5RNRBHJK67BGO5I5OJCE\">In taking the witness stand at trial, Wilson, who went by \u201cSha,\u201d stated he didn\u2019t intend on killing DeGroat, but did want DeGroat to stop selling drugs on his block. He said the shotgun went off during a struggle over the weapon.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Howard<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"KJVWPYMMY5CRDLI5QIIQMSZ4AI\">A West Brighton man convicted in the 2006 stabbing death of his girlfriend had his first shot at parole two years ago. He was denied. <\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Kevin Howard\" class=\"article__image-content\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SMWUUMEV65DDZNWCKYIWHBD55I.jpg\"  \/>Police arrested Howard after a vehicle pursuit that ended with him crashing into a pole at the intersection of Richmond Terrace and Broadway in West Brighton. Staff shot<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"RUXTEWOEO5FEHPOWZHK3BCCNWI\">Kevin Howard, now 67, will have another chance in May. The former construction worker with a history of mental health issues currently is serving out a sentence of 18 and a half years to life at Fishkill Correctional Facility in Beacon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"OSYY6KLUB5FMTK3IKACSNFZ6MI\">The victim, Jude Carabba, 47, of Silver Lake, was a mother and an actress who came from a large family. Her father was a prominent doctor and military veteran. <\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Homicide victim, Jude Carabba\" class=\"article__image-content\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/FNHZQTZ5ANHBBFHACRII5XSLTI.jpg\"  \/>Jude Carabba, who was killed by her boyfriend decades ago in the man&#8217;s West Brighton apartment, poses in this head shot. She was an actress, described by family as a generally happy person.(Submitted)<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"CROTDMZDTBE5HMWZXP4GIYYLAM\">Prosecutors said the stabbing played out inside the defendant\u2019s residence on Howard Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Carabba dead. Howard fled in a vehicle, which he crashed into a telephone pole a short distance away before being placed under arrest, the Advance\/SILive.com reported at the time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"262QFMKH6VADBNXLT6IMCNWPAU\">In the months leading up to Carabba\u2019s death, her father pleaded with her to stay away from the defendant, according to reports at the time. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"MFQLTA2P45DI7BOG6S6SPHHBEQ\">In the fallout of the murder, family described her as a generally happy person living out her dream, noting bit parts on \u201cLaw &amp; Order,\u201d \u201cThe Sopranos\u201d and \u201cCasino.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"62MBPWYZH5C75CMZC4XPATJTOY\">In handing down the prison sentence in 2007, Justice Leonard P. Rienzi cited Howard\u2019s history of psychiatric struggles, as well as the \u201cpoignant and moving letters\u201d he received from Carabba\u2019s family. <\/p>\n<p>Barry Rodrigo<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"6VYE7LJP6BC7XCIZSQQOYJMEOM\">After being denied parole nearly 10 times, a South Beach man convicted of killing his girlfriend\u2019s 2-year-old daughter has another shot at freedom in March. <\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Barry Rodrigo\" class=\"article__image-content\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Z6IJL54DBZG4NF7SZRGP6RBHLA.JPG\"  \/>Rodrigo, pictured here in 2015, said he carried out dozens of beatings on 2-year-old Lisa Nugent in July 1995, which resulted in the girl&#8217;s death.(Advance\/SILive.com)<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"2XF5W7JHKFEBLJ3F5RBMYZUZA4\">Barry Rodrigo, now 54 years old, was most recently denied parole in late 2024, state records show. He currently is serving a sentence of 15 years to life at Groveland Correctional Facility in Sonyea.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"PTEFF7GNQBBUNJOADBNSLZEENM\">During a parole interview in 2021, Rodrigo was asked about what triggered the repeated beatings of the victim, Lisa Nugent, in July 1995, which according to an autopsy report resulted in her death.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"2BRUSV75PRHGHKYCOR2MHGIS2Y\">He said he was in a volatile relationship with the girl\u2019s mother, and that he was acting out his feelings of frustration and inadequacy. <\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Barry Rodrigo\" class=\"article__image-content\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/4SZNLESWXJHAZNTBV265X5KIKE.png\"  \/>In this July 1995 photo, Barry Rodrigo, center is seen in police custody at the 122nd Precinct in New Dorp, following the death of Lisa Nugent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"NN366Q3FUVCBBALLUQCC423CL4\">\u201cI took the anger out on an innocent child. \u2026 (Someone who) could not fight back,\u201d a transcript of the 2021 parole-board interview quoted him as saying. &#8221; \u2026 (I was) thinking about what I\u2019ve been going through \u2026 not liking myself, thinking about that I\u2019m stuck not getting anywhere. That\u2019s probably what was going through my mind \u2014 not liking the place that I\u2019m in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"GDDFACUY2RFDJNKBDABECMEC2U\">Rodrigo added that he was frequently high and drunk at the time, and that he carried out as many as 30 beatings on the girl when he was alone with her.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Several inmates serving out lengthy prison sentences for homicide cases on Staten Island are&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":86423,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-86422","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86422"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86422\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}