Told to wait 2 years, Mass. father who killed his son gets early shot at parole
A Massachusetts father violently beat his 18-year-old son with a gas tank and hammer, breaking his skull, hitting his brain and killing him.
On Thursday, Richard Seymour is going in front of the parole board for the seventh time — this time, months ahead of schedule.
On Jan. 20, 1986, Richard Seymour, then 36, got into a fight with his 18-year-old son, Patrick Seymour, over the use of the car at the family's Billerica residence. Patrick Seymour had asked his father to borrow the car so he could go help a friend change a flat tire, the Boston Globe reported.
Richard Seymour used his fists, a propane gas tank and a hammer to beat his son to death. Evidence showed that Richard Seymour struck Patrick Richard with the gas tank at least three times in the back of the head, while Patrick was either on his knees or lying on the ground. And the hammer blows were hit with such force that "he broke through his son's skull and penetrated his brain," the parole board wrote in 2024. Richard Seymour then tied Patrick Seymour's hands and legs, dragged him behind a workbench and covered him with blankets and boxes.
Officials said he was still alive at this point.
Richard Seymour then showered and changed his clothes.
Two hours later, Richard Seymour's wife, teenage daughter and a friend arrived home. The teenage daughter discovered Patrick Seymour's body.
With a large kitchen knife in hand, Richard Seymour threatened the three women. He chased them, physically assaulted them and then tied them up. He stuffed socks in the mouths of his daughter and her friend. He held the knife up to his daughter's throat and threatened to kill her. He then cut his wife with the knife.
The two teenage girls were able to free themselves and escape. And Richard Seymour fled the scene.
He was arrested a short time later, officials said.
On Sept. 23, 1986, Richard Seymour pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of his son in Middlesex Superior Court. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of kidnapping, as well as three counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole
Parole was denied following an initial hearing in 2001 and after review hearings in 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 and in 2024.
In 2011, the family feared he could be released after the parole board received heavy criticism for releasing Dominic Cinelli, who was on parole when he shot and killed a police officer.
Paula Todisco, Richard Seymour's daughter, told CBS News that her biggest fear was "that it's going to happen to me, that he's going to get out and come after my family."
During his parole board hearing in 2024, when he was 74 years old, Richard Seymour was reminded to engage in domestic violence treatment "in hopes that he would gain insight into his long pattern of significant abuse and the harm he caused his family and other victims." It is something the board has consistently recommended over the years, but something he still hadn't done.
Richard Seymour stated he wasn't aware it was available to him.
He's remained sober for at least 30 years. He has also "excelled academically, achieving his bachelor's and master's degrees."
During the 2024 parole board hearing, the family gave "compelling testimony concerning the history of abuse and the trauma they continue to endure," the parole board wrote. Five people spoke in support of Richard Seymour getting parole, while four people spoke against it.
On April 30, 2024, the parole board voted to deny his parole request with a review in two years from the date of the hearing, which would've placed him having another hearing in February 2026.
But the board also wrote that it "will reconsider upon completion of domestic violence and victim impact programming."
Richard Seymour is expected to go in front of the parole board at 1 p.m. on Thursday.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security is unable to comment on the case prior to the hearing. However, those incarcerated are allowed to ask for a parole board hearing early if there are "special conditions," including completing the tasks mandated by the parole hearing panel.
During his 2016 parole board hearing, he said he "was a monster back then." He then looked to the ceiling and cried out.
"I'm so sorry! God Almighty! What have I done," he screamed, the Globe reported.
His former wife, Regina Marsh, rolled her eyes at his answers to the parole board, according to the news outlet.
"I think it was all an act," Marsh said. "Phony."
The family explained how they had experienced years of abuse and how it wasn't a singular incident.
"The abuse was steady and constant," Diane Nardone, Patrick's aunt, said, detailing to the Globe how he would play "Russian Roulette" with a loaded gun against his wife's head.
While the hearing is on Thursday, it's unlikely a decision will be made soon. It typically takes months for the parole board to consider all the material and vote.
More on the Massachusetts Parole Board
Read the original article on MassLive .
