The man who killed a beloved 75-year-old delivery driver in 1985 has been granted parole after nearly 40 years in prison.
On Nov. 14, 1985, Frederick Slavin was working as a delivery driver for a package store in Lowell. He had been working there for two decades and was known as “Pops.”
It was commonly known that Slavin cashed checks for customers and often carried large amounts of cash with him, according to the parole board.
On the day of the murder, Slavin went to the back of an office building in Lowell to deliver a case of beer phoned in that day by an unidentified caller. But the delivery call had been a rouse to lure Slavin to the area and rob him, the parole board stated.
Slavin’s body was later found behind the building in a pool of blood. Severe head trauma was inflicted using a blunt instrument. His pockets were turned inside out and empty.
Police found a brown bag near Slavin’s body that had several thousand dollars.
Raymond Grenier, who was 19-years-old, was taken to the Lowell police station to provide a statement about his activities earlier in the day. The questioning continued into the night, and Grenier consented to testing for traces of blood. Traces of blood which matched Slavin’s blood type were found on Grenier’s hands, hairline and the soles of his sneakers.
Grenier was convicted of first-degree murder and armed robbery on Feb. 5, 1987, following a jury trial in Middlesex Superior Court. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
However, he became eligible for parole after a recent Supreme Judicial Court decision that states emerging adults between the ages of 18-20 cannot be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Due to the decision, Grenier was able to go in front of the parole board for the first time in January.
After 39 years, he has completed multiple programs, including Violence Reduction, Emotional Awareness and Jericho Circle. He is employed at MCI-Norfolk and earned his GED in 1995. He has remained disciplinary report free for approximately nine years.
He continues to tell the parole board that he is innocent.
Multiple people spoke in support of Grenier getting parole, while family members of Slavin spoke against it.
On May 14, he was granted parole to an approved home plan after a six month step down to a lower security prison. However, the board was split on the decision. Three people voted to deny parole and have another review in two years, while four people voted to grant it.
Grenier will have electronic monitoring for six months, be supervise for drugs with testing and must have mental health counseling for adjustment.
