Latest
New York bills could abolish life without parole for serial killers and cop killers, critics warn
State lawmakers in New York are considering a series of “four bad bills” that critics are warning could lead to the release of mass murderers, serial killers and other violent convicts.
Among the examples Suffolk County officials and the families of victims raised at a news briefing Friday are serial killer Joel Rifkin, who murdered between nine and 17 women; commuter shooter Colin Ferguson, who killed six and wounded 19 on the Long Island Rail Road; and the White supremacist gunman Payton Gendron, who livestreamed the massacre of 10 people at a Tops supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo.
Thousands of other violent criminals could also be released. The bills aim to establish an elder parole program in the Empire State, among other changes that would result in the early release of killers.
“We’re talking about the worst of the worst,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told Fox News Digital. “The people who have done really the worst acts possible and have proven to be really a danger to our society. And they’re like an infinitesimal, small percentage of our population who create an inordinately large amount of all of the problems, all the violence, all of the theft and everything else.“
Joining Suffolk County officials at a news briefing Friday was Theresa Bliss, whose 25-year-old son David was murdered in 2021 outside a pizzeria in Port Jefferson after an argument with strangers.
“I have a question for every New York lawmaker pushing the Earned Time Act, Fair and Timely Parole Act, Elder Parole and Second Look Act, does our pain mean anything to you?” she asked. “How do you fight so aggressively for the early release of murderers, yet dismiss the families whose lives were shattered?”
The victims don’t get second chances, she added.
The man who shot her son received a sentence for 40 years to life in prison. Under the proposed reforms, parole could come much sooner.
“When you pass laws that prioritize criminals over victims, you’re not reforming the system — you’re erasing us,” she said.
The briefing came days after Tierney secured a guilty plea from another Long Island serial killer, Rex Heuermann, who is expected to be sentenced in June after admitting to torturing and killing eight women.
Tierney has been a frequent critic of the state’s recent bail reform laws, which allowed a group of people suspected of dismembering a body and littering the remains around Long Island’s south shore to go free before police had enough evidence to also charge them with killing the victim.
And earlier this month, he sidestepped the state’s sanctuary laws in order to make sure Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took custody of a Guatemalan man accused of raping a child.
“While these bills are often framed as reforms and have innocuous titles, in reality, they will push thousands of New York’s most violent criminals out onto our streets,” Tierney warned.
LISTEN TO THE NEW ‘CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO’ PODCAST
Some key issues Tierney and Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine, both Republicans, slammed at a news briefing Friday:
One bill would cut all sentences less than life in prison by half and prevents prison assaults and stabbings from being deducted from credits for good behavior. Since the proposed reduction applies retroactively, it would “result in the immediate release of thousands of New York’s most dangerous inmates.”
“These people are where they are because they richly deserve it,” Tierney told Fox News Digital. “Every second of whatever sentence they receive, they’ve earned.”
SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
Another bill would block the state’s parole board from considering the nature of the original crime when weighing parole — “no matter how horrible.” This specifically benefits murderers and rapists, the officials said, and implies that parole is automatic, not something earned.
“It turns parole upside down — it prohibits consideration of the seriousness of the crime and even the defendant’s remorse or lack of it,” Tierney said.
In the Bliss case, the killer was seen on home security video shortly after the shooting laughing about it. At future parole board hearings, the people deciding his fate would be unable to consider that behavior if the bill passes.
A third would impose a California-style elder parole in New York, and take the concept one step further, the officials warned. The Empire State’s version would abolish life without parole, “even for serial killers, cop killers and racist murderers.” It applies to inmates who have served at least 15 years of a sentence, including a life sentence, and are older than 55.
“Once [Gendron] turns 55, every two years those families are going to have to go through the parole process again,” Tierney said. “Why?”
The fourth bill gives felons a chance to petition a judge for a sentence reduction. The judge cannot be the same one who imposed their sentence to begin with. There is no limit on the number or frequency of petitions, and if one is denied, the inmate can immediately file another with a different judge.
“These bills are an insult to every law-abiding citizen, the law enforcement community and especially the victims of these crimes,” said Romaine, the top elected official in Suffolk County, a suburb of New York City. “Use common sense and do not pass these bills.”
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
Fox News Digital has reached out to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office for comment.
Latest
DUKE: Faith Under Fire
Latest
Dana White ‘wasn’t going to see 65’ before longevity expert intervened with strict new regimen
Longevity expert Gary Brecka said his work with Dana White led to startling blood test results, revealing that the UFC CEO may have only had a few years left to live based on his prior lifestyle.
Brecka, who spent 20 years as a mortality-modeling expert in the insurance industry, said on “Hang Out With Sean Hannity” that people in White’s inner circle “quietly” asked him to get ahold of the UFC president, reporting that he was falling asleep during important meetings.
The biohacker said he “tricked” White by telling the UFC boss he needed blood work and a genetic test to predict his life expectancy due to worries over White’s symptoms, while in reality, existing medical records and demographic data could have sufficed.
He said White was experiencing sleep apnea, low blood oxygen levels, aches and pains, among other ailments. But White’s blood test provided cause for concern even before the results were in.
UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP ENTERS THE RING FOR HEALTHCARE REFORM WITH NEW PRICE TRANSPARENCY PARTNERSHIP
“His blood coagulated at room temperature. As a percentage, there was more fat in his blood than blood,” said Brecka, due to “lethal” levels of triglycerides.
After sending the blood off to the lab for testing, he got a call at 1 a.m. — a move usually reserved for emergencies. The results were dire, he said.
Given the life-threatening alert, Brecka said he immediately booked a flight to White and was on the ground in Las Vegas by 9 a.m.
3 SIMPLE LIFESTYLE CHANGES COULD ADD ALMOST A DECADE TO YOUR LIFE, RESEARCH SHOWS
White was floored when Brecka rattled off a list of his symptoms based solely on his test results. It turned out the UFC president had “hyper-homocystinemia,” Brecka said, or the inability to break down an amino acid called homocysteine.
Homocysteine at high levels can irritate the interior lining of the arteries, causing them to “clamp down,” Brecka explained.
“And if you make the pipe smaller in a fixed system, the pressure goes up. So his [blood] pressure wasn’t being driven up because there was a malfunction with the heart. It was being driven because the pipes were too small.”
TRUMP GETS DANA WHITE TO ADD FIGHT TO UFC WHITE HOUSE CARD AFTER PERSONAL ASK
Because the vascular system contracted, White began experiencing hypertension. “They start to medicate the heart for a crime it’s not committing,” since the problem actually lay in his arteries, Brecka said.
He put White on a strict keto diet and blood pressure monitoring regimen.
“He wasn’t going to see 65,” said Brecka, based on his preliminary evaluation of White’s lab results.
Ultimately, he was able to extend White’s predicted lifespan from his initial assessment of 10.4 years.
Latest
ACTING LABOR SECRETARY SONDERLING: A fast-track way to get a job without college debt
Hollywood actor Patrick Ball recently made headlines for calling his $80,000 in student loan debt a “huge burden.” In an interview with Cultured magazine, Ball said he believes he would have died in debt if not for landing a starring role in the award-winning drama “The Pitt.”
Ball lucked out, but for most Americans, there’s no such happy ending. More than 42 million Americans have student loans, bringing the total outstanding federal-student-loan debt to over $1.6 trillion. The average borrower has an outstanding balance of around $40,000.
Pursuing a college degree makes sense for many individuals, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Too many students graduate to discover a drought of job prospects in their field while simultaneously struggling to afford student-loan payments. Even if they manage to land a job, the average annual salary of a recent college graduate is barely enough to sustain one person, let alone a family. The result is paralyzing debt and a stalled future.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, the Department of Labor (DOL) is working hard to create alternative pathways for Americans seeking secure, family-supporting, in-demand careers. As we celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we’re spotlighting programs that offer hands-on training, strong mentorship opportunities, and credentials that benefit workers and employers alike.
TRUMP HAS SET THE STAGE FOR AN AMERICAN COMEBACK AFTER BIDEN’S DISMAL ECONOMY
Last year, Trump issued an executive order titled “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future” and set a goal of securing more than 1 million active apprentices. To achieve this mission, DOL partnered with the Departments of Commerce and Education to develop America’s Talent Strategy.
For too long, there’s been a mismatch between the training workers receive and the skills that employers seek. America’s Talent Strategy aims to change that by meeting the needs of employers and preparing more Americans to access high-wage careers. We’re realigning federal workforce programs with investments in private sector training and evolving skill demands as well as partnering with American businesses who are dedicated to employing new apprentices as key pieces of their talent pipelines.
That’s not all. The Labor Department has committed $3,500 incentive payments to partner employers for every registered apprentice hired. Under Trump’s leadership, we’re also streamlining the process for potential partner companies and slashing the red tape that discourages organizations from creating similar programs.
DAVID MARCUS: MAGA’S H-1B ‘CIVIL WAR’ IS EXACTLY HOW POLITICS IS SUPPOSED TO WORK
Additionally, we’re breaking down the silos that have hampered how America prepares its workforce. Last year, DOL signed a historic partnership agreement with the Department of Education. Under this arrangement, DOL can support and influence a broader set of workforce programs previously spread across federal agencies. That means cutting redundant efforts, shrinking bloated government bureaucracy and giving more flexibility to states.
All of this has empowered the Labor Department to add more than 386,000 apprentices and more than 3,300 new Registered Apprenticeship programs since Trump took office last January. Apprentices enjoy an “earn while you learn” model, and those who complete their program can land an average starting salary of $86,000 per year — $20,000 more than that of recent college graduates.
These are significant steps toward closing our nation’s skills gap of approximately 700,000 jobs. But it’s also significant because of the lives we’re impacting.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
Brent Davis is one such example. For years, Brent struggled to provide for his family — until a friend urged him to apply to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard Apprenticeship Program in Virginia. Brent was accepted as a boilermaker apprentice, eventually becoming a journeyman in the shipyard and then an official Shop 41 Boilermaker. Brent graduated with glowing marks across the board for his workmanship. Thanks to his hard work and dedication, he was nominated for the Department of Labor and Industry’s Division of Registered Apprenticeship Outstanding Apprentice of the Year.
Shane Siler of Wyoming has a similar story. For 15 years, Shane worked in the food industry and dabbled in drilling and construction. But after he became a single father, he realized he needed to pursue a more stable and promising career path. Shane was attracted to the trades because they offered the opportunity to earn a full-time wage while still attending school. He joined a Registered Apprenticeship Program, and today he works as an Industrial and Heavy Commercial Electrician. The Registered Apprenticeship Program has empowered Shane to build a better life for himself and his son.
These stories are exactly what National Apprenticeship Week is all about. Our task is to equip Americans to find their place in an evolving economy so that testimonials like Brent and Shane’s are the standard — not the exception. Registered Apprenticeships have the power to strengthen our supply chains, fill skill gaps in industries critical to our national security, and ensure America stays on the cutting edge of innovation and industry.
Most of all, they empower hardworking Americans to achieve the American Dream. That’s something truly worth celebrating.
-
Latest2 weeks agoVance Leaves Meeting, Looks Straight Into Camera, Announces Stunning Arrest
-
News2 weeks agoAdam Schiff Facing 30 Years In Prison After Bank Records Leak
-
Latest2 weeks agoSupreme Curt Sides With Trump — He Can Remove The All
-
News3 weeks agoAll Hell Breaks Loose On Fox When Jesse Watters Asks Fetterman One Question
-
News2 weeks agoNBC Stops LIVE Broadcast — Breaks Big Trump News
-
News2 weeks agoSwalwell Facing Jail Time After Sickening New Video Leaks
-
Latest2 weeks agoUT Judge Drops Bombshell In Charlie Kirk Killer Case
-
News2 weeks agoBiden Attorney Found Dead After It’s Revealed Who She Was Investigating
