Killer who savagely beat Groveland teen to death more than 30 years ago goes up for parole

A convicted killer who savagely beat his ex-girlfriend to death with a baseball bat more than 30 years ago will have a chance to win his freedom back at a parole hearing on Thursday.

Richard Baldwin, who was 16 years of age when he murdered Beth Brodie, of Groveland, in 1992, is set for a hearing with the Massachusetts Parole Board.

In 1994, Baldwin was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no parole. In light of studies finding teenage brains are not fully developed, mandatory “Life No Parole” sentences for teen killers have been ruled unconstitutional .

In April, Sean Alyward, Beth Brodie’s brother told Boston 25′s Bob Ward , “I want everybody to know that this animal is up for parole...She’s been in the grave thirty years, too. She’s not getting out. She doesn’t get a second chance.”

Boston attorney Peter Elikann told Ward that Baldwin has a steep hill to climb at his parole hearing.

“It’s most certainly not a slam dunk that he’s going to be released, particularly in light that this was a particularly reprehensible monstrous act,” Elikann said.

Elikann also noted that the parole board will look at Baldwin’s disciplinary record behind bars and consider if he’s taken measures to improve himself.

“He is going to have to be very remorseful, take ownership of what he did, be apologetic,” Elikann added.

Alyward plans to testify at Baldwin’s parole hearing and do everything he can to convince the parole board to reject his bid for freedom.

Gruesome details on the killing were presented during Baldwin’s trial. One juror told Boston 25 that the facts of Brodie’s murder still haunt him .

“He brought the bat out. He asked Beth to her face: ‘Do you want to turn around for this?’ And he just took a full swing right into her face. We had to look at pictures,” the juror recalled.

Some teen killers in Massachusetts who were originally given life without parole sentences have since won their freedom through.

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