84-year-old woman was killed in her home after serving orange juice. Her killers are now free
An 84-year-old woman was violently beaten to death in her Roslindale home after offering her killers orange juice. Decades later, all those charged in connection with her murder are walking free.
In the spring of 1981, Donna Westbrooks, 20, saw a neighbor, 84-year-old Palmira Piciulo, wearing valuable jewelry. Westbrooks knew the 84-year-old lived alone in the apartment above her.
She began working with 20-year-old Phillip Pennellatore and 15-year-old James Costello, who sometimes lived in her apartment, to plan an armed robbery.
On April 6, 1981, Westbrooks and Costello went to the woman's apartment and she invited them in and served them orange juice.
When the 15-year-old got up from the table to put the glasses in the sink, he walked up behind Piciulo and began hitting her in the head with a "heavy black telephone cable" he had hidden in his sleeve.
Westbrooks returned to her apartment to get Pennellatore's help and they ran back upstairs.
Piciulo was lying on the kitchen floor, officials said. But when she tried to get up, Pennellatore took the cable and struck her until she lay motionless on the floor.
Pennellatore and Costello then stole items from the 84-year-old's apartment.
As they were able to leave, they noticed that Piciulo was still alive. They then suffocated her, struck her with a hammer and slit her wrists before leaving, officials said.
Westbrooks was charged with accessory after the fact and eventually paroled.
Costello was found guilty of first-degree murder, armed assault in a dwelling and armed robbery. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Pennellatore was convicted of first-degree murder and was also sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Both sentences were deemed unconstitutional to not have the possibility of parole due to their ages. And nearly 44 years later, both men will be free.
In 2015, Costello was granted parole after reflecting on the trauma that shaped his path to violence — including the abuse he suffered as a teenager at the hands of Father John J. Geoghan, the notorious priest whose crimes were exposed in the movie " Spotlight ." That abuse, Costello said, played a pivotal role in the choices that led to his conviction.
Pennellatore was granted parole on Aug. 20 after his first parole board hearing in April .
James Costello
Costello experienced neglect and abuse from a young age. Still, he told the parole board in 2015, that it doesn't excuse his responsibility in the crime.
Costello remembered when his 3-year-old brother was severely burned after playing with matches. He said his mother was passed out when this happened, so he and his sister had to drag their brother into the bathtub.
His mother then blamed him and his sister for the incident, which "increased the intensity of the physical abuse they had already endured," the parole board wrote.
Costello was raped by a neighbor when he was 6. The man threatened him to keep it a secret or he and his family would be killed. Costello kept the experience to himself and stated that "the next four years were even more difficult."
He began disengaging from his family, school "and any positive influences that he may have had." He began stealing cars, abusing drugs and alcohol and breaking into homes. By age 13, Costello was committed to the Department of Youth Services (DYS).
"Costello then described an experience that further exacerbated his level of anger, distrust, and detachment from adult figures," the parole board wrote.
His mother was at a loss for how to provide him with positive direction and insisted that he get pastoral counseling from Geoghan.
Former Catholic priest John Geoghan listens during a hearing in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge, Mass., in this Nov. 5, 2001 photo. (AP Photo/Patricia McDonnell)ASSOCIATED PRESS
While in Geoghan's care, Costello was sexually abused by him. Despite Costello's resistance, his mother, who was unaware of the abuse, insisted that he continue and even encouraged Costello to become one of Geoghan's altar boys.
"Costello described this abusive relationship as being a significant catalyst to his violent and criminal behavior," the parole board wrote.
He felt hopelessness.
On the day of the attack, Costello followed what Pennellatore told him to do.
"I struck the first blows," he recalled. "I did this to a small vulnerable woman who took pity on a street kid."
He was then told to search the apartment and later told to hit the woman with a hammer.
"Phil told us to do it to make sure she was dead," he recalled.
After Costello was arrested, Geoghan resumed his relationship with the 15-year-old.
"The psychiatrist (obviously oblivious to the abuse) recommended to the Court that Costello maintain his relationship with Geoghan, in the hope that he would benefit from his mentoring," the parole board wrote.
But the court ultimately decided Costello had not benefited from Geoghan's efforts to help him. They used this as evidence to move him from juvenile court to being tried as an adult.
At 17, he was convicted and sent to "the most dangerous prison in Massachusetts." And he fought for survival.
By 1991, he began turning his life around.
He first asked for a parole board hearing in 2003 but was denied. Ten years later, his life sentence without the possibility of parole was deemed unconstitutional and he had his parole board hearing Feb. 26, 2015.
In an unanimous vote, the board decided Costello was a suitable candidate for parole.
Phillip Pennellatore
Over the 44 years Pennellatore has been incarcerated, he's begun making changes to better himself.
Now 64 years old, Pennellatore hasn't had any disciplinary reports since 1992. He also got a bachelor's degree through Boston University during his time incarcerated.
He participated in programs, including Jericho Circle and Restorative Justice, prior to being able to go in front of the parole board.
"The Board concludes by unanimous decision that Mr. Pennellatore has demonstrated a level of rehabilitation that would make his release compatible with the welfare of society," the parole board wrote.
Parole was granted to Bethany House, a residential program, in about a month. He will have electronic monitoring for six months, be supervised for drugs, mental health counseling and is not allowed to have contact with the victim's family.
More on the Massachusetts Parole Board
Read the original article on MassLive .
