A Massachusetts man once sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after killing a 15-year-old will soon be walking free.
On March 12, 1967, 20-year-old Roger Francis shot and killed 15-year-old Marialice Pike in Hingham. She was found unconsious by a Massachusetts State Trooper in the median strip on Route 3.
She had multiple gunshot wounds and later died.
Francis fled to Canada, leaving his car behind.
The car, officials said, contained evidence linking Francis to the murder. Blood stains in the car matched Pike’s blood type. There were also bullet fragments in the car that matched the ones in the 15-year-old’s body.
When police arrested Francis in Canada, he told police, “I’ve been expecting you fellows.” He then asked if the 15-year-old was still alive. But she had died the day before.
Francis then asked if he would “get the chair for first degree.”
He was convicted for first-degree murder on Nov. 3, 1967. In 1990, however, his conviction was vacated after he won a motion for a new trial.
Officials offered a plea deal to second-degree murder but it was unsuccessful, the parole board stated.
During a second trial on June 17, 2003, Francis was convicted of first-degree murder again and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
However, he became eligible for parole after a 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, Francis was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 15 years.
This was Francis’ first hear, which took place on Dec. 18, 2024. On April 8, the board decided the now 78-year-old was granted parole in two weeks.
He served 44 years in prison.
“Mr. Francis has had an extraordinarily positive adjustment throughout his incarceration, with no disciplinary reports, and has held positions of great trust,” the board wrote in its decision. “He has invested in self-development and maintains a significant support system.”
During his time in prison, the parole board said Francis had “numerous psychiatric hospitalizations and varying treatment interventions.” A forensic evaluation was done and the expert claimed Francis has a very low risk of re-offending.
The decision to release Francis was unanimous for the parole board.
However, Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz said Wednesday that he’s “outraged,” according to the Boston Globe.
“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 in the statement. “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.”
