Man convicted of second-degree murder 23 years ago now eligible for parole

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Jeff Curley was just 10 years old when he was abducted and murdered by two men in Cambridge in 1997.

A jury convicted one of those men, Salvatori Sicari, of first-degree murder, but a second man, Charles Jaynes, was convicted of second-degree murder by a different jury, making him eligible for parole in 2020.

The two men lured Jeff off the streets of Cambridge with the promise of a bicycle, but later smothered and raped him before dumping his body into a Maine river.

At the time, the crime outraged New England and even brought Massachusetts within one vote of reinstating the death penalty.

Now that Jaynes has an appearance scheduled before the parole board on March 31, Jeff’s family is fighting back, saying 23 years in prison was not enough time for someone like Jaynes, no matter how reformed he might be.

“It’s still a shock when that hits you, the possibility that he may get out,” said Bob Curley, Jeff’s father. “Charles Jaynes can’t get enough bad things to happen to him, to compensate for what he did to Jeffrey.”

Over the years, Jaynes has kept quiet in prison, only making headlines when he attempted and failed to change his name to reflect his Wiccan beliefs. He also tried to get a new trial, but that motion also failed.

As Jaynes’ date before the parole board nears, Bob Curley says he’s wanted to forget about Jaynes for years, but that’s been impossible, especially now that he’s trying to get out of prison.

“Jeffrey died a horrible death, he died all by himself, in the trunk of that car,” said Curley. “It was not a quick death, he suffered for a long time. You try not to think about it, try not to let it affect you but, it’s easier said than done sometimes.”

Jayne’s parole hearing might still be several weeks away, but Curley says he’s ready to fight back, saying he has no other choice but to be ready.

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