More than 30 years ago, Jose Crespo was sentenced to 60 years in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend Melanie Rieger. At the time, Rieger’s parents were promised that their days spent in court with her killer were over. But Sam and Wanda Rieger, now 78 and 81, were forced to return to a crowded Waterbury courtroom on Wednesday to watch a slideshow of their 19-year-old’s life cut short by Crespo.
. Crespo — who the Riegers said they once welcomed into their home, took on vacation and sought counseling for — appeared via a video call from a correction institute in New Hampshire as he appealed to Judge Joseph B. Schwartz for a reduction in his sentence , of which he has served 30 1/2 years.
Melanie’s brother, Randy Rieger, said Wednesday that if the court even considers reducing Crespo’s sentence, “the only thread of justice we have from this brutal murder would be snipped.” “It seems unconscionable that you would consider putting a family through a second round of grief like that,” he said. Randy Rieger was joined by his parents and many friends, family members, survivors and advocates who implored the judge to keep Crespo behind bars.
To modify the sentence, Sam Rieger said, “would be to deny justice to our beautiful daughter Melanie.” “The fact that we are now being re-traumatized by the criminal justice system after 30 years provides proof that we need to support victims of violent crime instead of abusing them over and over again,” he said. On May.
