BRIDGETON, NJ – Harry De La Roche, the New Jersey man who was convicted of brutally murdering his parents and two younger brothers in 1976, has been granted parole. After serving several decades behind bars, De La Roche, now 64 years old, was released from South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton on June 29 and transferred to a residential community program. The decision to grant him parole was made by state corrections officials on May 17.
The gruesome crime took place when De La Roche, then an 18-year-old freshman at the Citadel Military Academy in South Carolina, returned home to Montvale for the Thanksgiving break. Upon his arrival, he committed an unspeakable act, fatally shooting his mother and father, Harry Sr. and Mary Jane De La Roche, along with his younger brothers, Eric, 12, and Ronald, 15.
Details from court documents reveal the horrifying nature of the murders. Ronald, the eldest brother, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was also found beaten and stuffed inside a trunk in the attic, adding further anguish to an already devastating tragedy.
Since his conviction, De La Roche has spent the majority of his life behind bars, facing the consequences of his heinous actions. However, after careful consideration, the state corrections officials determined that he had served a sufficient sentence and was eligible for parole.