Peter Braunstein, a 62-year-old convicted sex offender known for a 2005 case in which he allegedly posed as a firefighter to attack a former colleague, has sent a letter to media outlets warning that he would carry out a "ruthless massacre" if released on parole under proposed reforms, according to the New York Post.
Braunstein is serving his sentence at Wende Correctional Facility in New York State. The report said he wrote a three-page letter in blue ink criticizing two parole-reform proposals being discussed in Albany — commonly referred to as the Elder Parole bill and the Fair and Timely Parole bill — which would expand access to parole hearings for certain incarcerated people aged 55 and older who have served at least 15 years.
In the letter, Braunstein reportedly claimed that if he were released, he would quickly return to prison because he would "only kill," and he allegedly listed targets, threatening violence against people he described as "monsters" and politicians.
According to the report, Braunstein was convicted in connection with a Halloween-night attack in 2005 in Chelsea, a neighborhood in New York City. The article said he set a fire outside the victim's apartment, then used a firefighter disguise to gain entry and carried out a prolonged sexual assault lasting about 13 hours, which was recorded on camera.
The report added that he fled for around two months during a multi-state manhunt and later kidnapped a male psychiatrist before being arrested. A judge sentenced him to 18 years to life in New York. After completing that term, he is also required to serve an additional 23-year sentence in Ohio related to the kidnapping case, the report said.
Braunstein expressed no remorse in his letter and made claims about the victim developing "Stockholm syndrome," which the article described as part of his continuing pattern of disturbing statements. It also said he claimed to be writing a sexually explicit "incest-themed" novella while in prison.
The letter has intensified debate around parole reform in New York, with critics warning that the bills could potentially allow parole hearings for other notorious prisoners. It cited comments from former parole-board member and current state senator Marc A. Coppola, who argued that broad early-release measures would be disrespectful to victims and their families.
Related News:
Comment