Bergen man who murdered his family in 1976 is released from prison on parole

A Bergen County man who spent 45 years in prison for the murder of his family in 1976 was recently released.

On May 17, the New Jersey State Parole Board granted Harry De La Roche freedom after he was denied parole in December 2019. The denial in 2019 marked his sixth attempt at gaining freedom. According to De La Roche's notice of release, his parole began June 29.

After his denial, De La Roche, now 64, was not eligible for 10 years, but David Wolfsgruber, executive director of the State Parole Board, said last week that De La Roche "received commutation, work, minimum and annual review credits to which he was entitled, which reduced his parole eligibility date."

Wolfsgruber declined to provide additional comment, saying the State Parole Board "does not comment on any individual case."

"All decisions are rendered in conformity with applicable statutory and administrative code requirements," he said.

As part of his parole, De La Roche was to be released to a residential community program and must attempt to get and maintain employment and be under curfew.

De La Roche was 18 when he fatally shot his parents and two younger brothers while home for Thanksgiving in Montvale. One of his brothers was 12 years old. He admitted guilt in a written confession to police but then recanted, saying his 15-year-old brother had killed the rest of the family and he had killed only him.

In January 1978, he was found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to four concurrent life terms at South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton.

In 2008, film producer Jon Doscher released a documentary called "Harry: A Communication Breakdown" about the De La Roche murders.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Montvale NJ man who murdered family in 1976 is released from prison