Harry De La Roche, now 64, has been released from South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, New Jersey, after serving over 45 years for the murders of his parents and two younger brothers. He entered a residential community program on June 29th, following his parole approval on May 17th. De La Roche was an 18-year-old freshman at the Citadel Military Academy when the killings occurred during his Thanksgiving break visit to his Montvale home in 1976.
He was convicted in 1978 of fatally shooting his parents, Harry Sr. and Mary Jane De La Roche, and his brothers, 12-year-old Eric and 15-year-old Ronald. Court documents reveal that Ronald was shot in the head, beaten, and placed in a trunk in the attic. While De La Roche initially confessed, he later recanted, claiming he only killed Ronald and that Ronald was responsible for the deaths of the other family members. Despite his claims, a Bergen County jury found him guilty on four counts of first-degree murder, resulting in four concurrent life sentences.
Although no definitive motive has been established, acquaintances of the family suggest De La Roche was subjected to bullying both at home and at the military academy, potentially leading to a breaking point. This parole grant follows multiple unsuccessful attempts, the most recent denial occurring in 2019.
