After Gov. Patrick announces pardons, could a convicted rapist be next?

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- One day after Governor Deval Patrick announced he's recommending four pardons and one sentence commutation, we asked what he will do in the case of convicted rapist Benjamin LaGuer.
 
Years before Patrick became governor, he donated $5,000 to LaGuer's legal defense fund and even wrote letters on his behalf.

When Fox 25 political reporter Sharman Sacchetti asked Patrick if he expected to be commuting LaGuer's sentence, Patrick responded, "Benjamin LaGuer isn't in front of me yet. So we'll wait to see what comes from the parole board." 

The state's parole board screens candidates first, before applications land on the governor's desk.

LaGuer is serving a second degree life sentence for raping and beating his neighbor in Leominster back in the 1980s.

He has maintained his innocence, even after a positive DNA test. It was a case that became a major campaign issue for Patrick.

If LaGuer's sentence is commuted, he could be released early.  When Sacchetti pressed Patrick on whether or not he has an idea of where he stands on the case, Patrick simply said, "I'm not going to speculate."

Former child abuse and sex crimes prosecutor Wendy Murphy says she doesn't understand the hesitation.

"My question to him would be why would you hesitate to make it very clear today and every day. I don't care when he applies, the answer is going to be 'no' because this man brutally raped and almost killed an elderly woman left her for dead."

Murphy also said she understands that some cases "fall in the gray area," but added, "this isn't one of them! This is one of those cases where Deval Patrick, when asked anything about this guy, should say, 'I dont care when he applies, he's never getting out if I have anything to say about it."

Efforts to reach LaGuer's lawyer were unsuccessful

We also reached out to a spokesman for the state's executive office of public safety about the applications before the parole board. He never got back to us.

Any commutations or pardons are approved by the governor's council.

Cox Media Group