Fiend who raped, killed two NY moms was granted parole after admitting he hated women
A convicted killer who was granted parole after 43 years in prison over the protests of victims was let go even though he admitted that he committed a double rape and murder because he hated women, a transcript of his parole hearing shows.
“I was a young man. I got to the point that I didn’t like women for the reason that I was treated when I was a young kid, especially by my mother, when I was 12 years old,” killer Sam Ayala said at a July 20 hearing, according to records obtained by the Post.
he 69-year-old’s sob story — in which he also claimed he was “rejected” by his sister and “cheated” on by his wife — apparently found sympathetic listeners in the Gov. Andrew Cuomo-appointed state Parole Board, which granted him freedom after the hearing.
One of the Parole Board commissioners who ruled on his release, Tana Agostini, is married to a convicted murderer.
Ayala, 68, was eligible to be released as early as Thursday. However, a state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision official said the agency has to approve a housing plan for inmates eligible for release and “Mr. Ayala has yet to identify a residence that is acceptable and therefore, he will remain in DOCCS custody until such time that appropriate housing is located and approved.”
At his Parole Board hearing, Ayala described his feelings on the night that he participated in a 1977 home invasion in the Westchester town of South Salem, in which he raped and killed victims Bonnie Minter and Sheila Watson in front of their four kids ages 3 to 6, who were on a play date.
“I know that day at the house I exploded, I wanted to get revenge for the way I was treated when I was a kid. ,” Ayala said, though adding, “that still don’t give me the right to commit this horrible crime that I committed, taking it out on innocent people. … I participate on the rape, I participate on the murder, and I participate with taking the property from the home.”
He also said when he committed the heinous crime he was using cocaine, heroin and drinking .
Ayala said he was the “ringleader” with two accomplices who were only interested in committing a burglary that day, not murder, when they randomly targeted the home.
During the the hearing at the Fishkill prison, Agostini asked Ayala why he raped and killed if he just wanted to rob a house for money and goods.
“I was using drugs, I didn’t care for myself, I didn’t care for nobody, unfortunately, and the crime took place,” Ayala said,
Ayala repeatedly apologized for his crimes to which Agostini responded, “More sorry for the children who endured this crime, right? They had to hear their mother’s screams.”
Ayala said he hoped the traumatized kids got “professional help.”
Agostini said, “I don’t think any amount of help will heal their broken hearts,”though she added, “I believe you are very regretful.”
Near the end of the hearing, Ayala insisted he’s a changed man and has been a well behaved inmate who has turned to God.
“I am not the same person from 1977. I changed my behavior, violence….I got on a positive journey to honor the victims and their family.”
Ayala will be listed as a sex offender. One of the conditions of his parole is he can’t purchase sexual performance enhancements or drugs to treat erectile dysfunction, the transcript of the Parole Board decision said.
One of the victim’s sons, Jason Minter, told The Post Wednesday, “There’s now nothing you can do in New York to get a life sentence. The state failed to protect us. The state failed to protect my mother’s memory. We got victimized again.”
Said former state Parole Board Chairman Bob Dennison, “There are some criminals — I don’t care how old you are or how many years served — who should never get out of prison. Ayala is one of them.”
Dennison said it’s one of the worst parole decision made in recent memory, along with the board’s decision to free cop killer Herman Bell.
Cuomo, who appoints members to the 16-member Parole Board, had no immediate comment. The case was heard by Parole Board members Agostini and Michael Corley.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/09/02/fiend-who-raped-and-killed-two-moms-freed-after-admitting-women-hate/
Photo Credit: New York Post