NY Teen Gets Maximum for Hate Crime Killing

(CBS/ AP)  A New York teenager has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in the hate crime killing of an Ecuadorean immigrant.

Nineteen-year-old Jeffrey Conroy got the maximum sentence Wednesday. The Suffolk County Court judge said "the proof was overwhelming."

Conroy was convicted last month of first degree manslaughter as a hate crime and other crimes in the November 2008 stabbing death of Marcelo Lucero on Long Island.

Conroy was one of seven teenagers implicated in the killing but the only one to go to trial.

Long Island Teen Convicted in Hate Crime Death

At trial, prosecutors said Conroy and others allegedly went on a hunt to beat up Hispanics.

Prosecutors said Conroy delivered the fatal blow to Marcelo Lucero near the Patchogue train station.

Conroy told Newsday in the April 25 edition that he felt sorry for Lucero's family. "I wish he wasn't dead," he said.

He also has a swastika tattoo, but says he is "not a white supremacist," but that he got the tattoo on a dare.

After the sentence was imposed, Conroy's father, Robert Conroy, shouted an expletive, saying his son was only 17 at the time of the attack.

The killing shone a national spotlight on race relations on Long Island.

After Conroy was convicted, Lucero's mother, Rosario Lucero, said through a translator that she had forgiven Conroy and would pray for him.

[RichardinCA]

This will get reduced on appeal. This kid should have received the same sentence as anyone else who committed murder. The extra time was added for the stupid things he personally believes, making it, essentially, a thought crime.

[documemts]

The man he and his friends killed was a legal immigrant from Ecuador in South America. His mother speaking through an interpreter is like all mothers of all the posters on this CBS website who came here from Poland,Germany,France,Italy,Spain,Lithuania,Russia,Costa Rica,Argentina,Brazil,etc. etc. ... Gee, the parents of the posters here spoke the language of the country they emigrated from since they don't pick up english as fast as their children. The white people posting here are so quick to forget they all came from some place else and spoke some "foreign" language. I guess from what you said some of you must be just xenophobic white neo-nazi racist. Read the Bill of Rights we, everybody have the right to Life, Liberty, Read it stupids, and that goes for everybody legal, illegal, convicted or innocent. Conroy gets to enjoy prison with the rest of the neo-stupid white bigots. He'll learn how to hate better in prison so when he comes out he can really hurt someone. White-racist never learn.

[confused2byu]

Guess he will be more popular with the Hispanics in prison than he was on the outside. With that Swastika tatoo probably the blacks as well. Not sure what life would be worth taking for that. Yeah and now he wishes the guy he murder wasn't dead. Should have thought that though dude.

If you don't want to do the time don't do the crime.

[CZ452]

Not that he should have killed the guy but I wonder if the white dude had been killed by the immigrant what would have happened? To claim he was 17 at the time and should not be held accountable is absurd he should be terminated, period.

I do find it interesting that when a crime is commited against an immigrant (I'll assume illegal immigrant since they would have said legal had he been) it is a LAW that has been broken and someone needs to be held accountable. YET if an illegal alien comes here and breaks the law by doing just that we are all supposed to turn away and act like nothing has happened. When we all start picking and choosing which laws to observe and which we will not give a damn about things will really get ugly. I am not talking about the moral laws either like drug use I am talking about millions of invaders lowering all of our stardards of living. The government is complicit in allowing these laws to be broken but let an American break a law and the full strength of the law will be used against them, unless they are a cop, have lots of money or are a politicians family member. Everyone else is going to jail and be held to account. We can not even get the Departments that are paid to do nothing but stop illegals to stop them and enforce the law. That is lawlessness plain and simple.

[clintatl]

So please enlighten us with examples of illegal immigrants attacking white people minding their own business.

[gnimelf1968]

Hey clintatl, I can give you examples. Here in Wisconsin we have a city with a very high population of hispanics. Three times in the last year there have been instances of young women getting raped in our parks by illegal hispanics, three different ones, not the same guy. Two more times there have been armed robbery and arson found to be done by illegal hispanics. In another city in our wonderful state we had one kill an officer that was trying to pull him over for being all over the road. Need any more examples?

[ralpher009]

Look everyone - this kid was only 17 when he killed someone. No big deal, he was only out having a fun time. We really should not be so harsh on kids when they are just having a good time. Yes, someone died, but is that enough to deny a kid a nice night out?

I am just sick of this "just 17" b.s. This kid should be taken out back somewhere and hung from a tall tree. He and his friends went out to murder; he should be either sentenced to a full life term, or better yet, executed to save society from this type of scum.

[Rodeo_Joe]

At least he will be removed from the Gene Pool. No Justice - No Peace.

[hambonehd]

Question:
Was the immigrant legal or not? Is so, will they arrest his mother (and any others) to be deported? Who by the way, spoke through an interpeter.

I do not agree with what he did in no way! It just does not say if the imigrant was legal or not. If he had been legal, would this have happened? Just food for thought.

Good to have the kid off the street.

[bobnjersey]

[After the sentence was imposed, Conroy's father, Robert Conroy, shouted an expletive, saying his son was only 17 at the time of the attack. ]

yea ... but he was still an azzhole for what he did ... so now he'll be in mid life when he gets out.

[canislupus16]

I don't get this. Why was the charge/conviction only first degree manslaughter and not first or second degree murder? The guy should have gotten 25 to life, if not life. It was a hate crime, premeditated, and intentional. As it is he'll probably be eligible for parole in about 13 years. Then again, he'll be fresh meat in a maximum security prison so who knows. Bend over.

[excop1949]

The father may have shouted an expletive, but his son is also an expletive.