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SOMERS, N.Y. – Terry Losicco, the Lincoln Hall resident who brutally attacked an elderly Somers couple in 1980, killing one and leaving the other permanently helpless, is scheduled to appear before the New York State Parole Board this month.
Losicco was 16 when he persuaded a fellow resident to help him break into the home of Eleanor and Norman Prouty, where he expected to find a large sum of money. Eleanor Prouty, 67, was beaten to death and sodomized. Norman Prouty, who used a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis, was badly beaten and survived but lived the rest of his life in a nursing home.
At the trial, Judge Angelo Ingrassia said he could not recall a more brutal or vicious crime. He sentenced Losicco to a minimum of 27 years in prison but recommended life without parole.
When longtime Somers friends and neighbors learned recently that the victims’ grandson, Brooks S. Prouty, was filing a Victims’ Impact Statement before the hearing with the New York State Parole Board, “the town made it a common cause,” said Prouty.
“It started as a private correspondence between me and the Parole Board, but it ended up becoming a public dialogue on Facebook. Organizing a petition was a collective decision and the fact that the petition came out of the public forum is very powerful.
“It’s not just me, alone, and it is a healing process. It restores a sense of agency to the whole town. We’re taking action against something that was done to us,” said Prouty.
Among the dozens of people participating in the Facebook dialogue, Somers resident Lisa Bardo’s statement was typical. She said: “I spoke with the [Parole] Board today and they will be be happy to accept anything they feel will help them form an opinion with a case that is now more than 30 years old. But it is Yesterday in our minds.”
After the tragedy, the family moved away from Somers. “It was too painful to stay,” said Prouty, who was 15 at the time. “When you’re robbed as we were, you’re stripped of a lot of things, like your sense of power and agency. You’re left with a horrible sense of emptiness. It was a catastrophic shock.”
In his letter to the parole board, Prouty said the attack “destroyed my grandfather,” who died a lonely and broken man. The entire family was permanently affected, he said.
“With this petition, the public is sending a strong message that parole in this case is both abhorrent and repugnant,” Prouty said. “I’m not calling for Losicco’s head or trying to revive capital punishment. But he should serve life without parole.”
To sign the petition, click here.
Comments (11)
It was front page news in the Rockland Journal News
There is no mention in the articles that Terry's brother Richard Losicco shot his Grandparents about 25 years ago.
Hi...we are working very hard in support of this petition and I was a bit shocked to see your comment. Do you have any of the facts. wow... I can be reached at lisa bardo-barnes on facebook,
Eleanor was a lovely person who should be remembered for what she did for the Somers School District. And, what a wonderful family who contributed so much to our town. The intent here , of course, is to sign the petition, so we should all spread the word for that. But, I want Brooks to know there are still many of us here who have not forgotten.
Dear NancyJane: Thank you for your kind comment. I do now know that Ellie is still remembered today by you and all her other friends and supporters in Somers, which is a truly wonderful thing. Ellie would be honored to be remembered for her work on behalf of the Somers School District.Thank you very much! -- Brooks
MsMoose: David Hollis was released from prison on parole last year.
I think this Losicco character, from what I have read, should never be paroled. Does anyone know if the other guy was paroled, or is he still in prison?
I worked at Somers Manor and got to get to know Mr. Prouty. He was a very sweet, sweet man. We would talk whenever I would have some time. I have never forgotten him!
Although nothing can be done to change the brutal and horrific events of May 25,1980, we can all stand together in a very,very strong show of support against the release of this vicious inmate. Thank you to all the Somers community, past and present, who have supported this petition. I know the Prouty family is grateful for this support, and I know Mr. and Mrs, Prouty would be honored to know that Somers loves and supports them to this day.
As a high school student in Somers in 1980 this article brought back so many horrible emotions I can't tell you. The tragedy did affect everyone. I pray that life without parole is granted. This family and Somers has suffered enormously and no parole should ever be granted.
Thank you to Katherine Pacchiana and the Somers Daily Voice for writing and publishing this excellent article. I and the rest of the Prouty family gratefully appreciate the support of all our friends and former neighbors in Somers, a place dear to our hearts. This petition belongs to all of us. It is for Somers and for the memory of my grandmother, who loved Somers. - Brooks S. Prouty