Governor’s Council Commutes Life Sentence of Peter W. Makarewicz-July 31, 1975

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The Governor’s Council yesterday, on a vote of 6 to 2, commuted the life sentence of Peter W. Makarewicz of Norwood, who was convicted in 1955 for the strangulation murder of a local teenage girl. Peter W. Makarewicz, 35, will still have to serve a minimum of nearly five more years to be eligible for parole consideration on two concurrent sentences stemming from a 1959 escape attempt from Walpole State Prison. However, as a result of the commutation granted by Governor Michael S. Dukakis and the state Advisory Board of Pardons, he will be transferred from Walpole to Framingham State Prison, where he has been accepted into a specialized printing and graphic arts experimental program.

Peter W. Makarewicz was originally sentenced to life imprisonment in March 1955 for the murder of Geraldine Annese, 16. Peter W. Makarewicz and the Annese girl had been neighbors and attended the same school in Norwood, and her partially clad body was discovered in a local garage on November 5, 1954.

In supporting the commutation, Councilor Patrick J. “Sonny” McDonough stated that Peter W. Makarewicz had made a remarkable recovery and is one of the most top honored inmates that we have, describing him as deeply repentant. He noted that Peter W. Makarewicz had become an accomplished artist who has made a name in the art field and saved the state untold thousands of dollars through his advanced welding skills. This is as good a commutation that has ever been presented, Patrick J. “Sonny” McDonough remarked, earlier noting it was a horrible thing that he had been put in jail at the age of 15 alongside hardened criminals. Councilor Herbert L. Connolly also pointed to psychiatric reports indicating that Peter W. Makarewicz had successfully resolved his personal and sexual problems during his long imprisonment.

Voting against the commutation were Councilor George F. Cronin Jr. and Councilor Vincent A. LoPresti. Explaining his opposition, George F. Cronin Jr. stated, What is in the record doesn’t satisfy me, though he added, I wish him luck. I hope he makes it but I’m not sure. Vincent A. LoPresti similarly noted that he was not completely convinced at this time that the commutation represented a wise move. Despite the opposition, the recommendation by Governor Michael S. Dukakis carried the majority, securing the historic reduction in sentence for the longtime inmate.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger