Dear New Milford Residents,

On August 31, 1976, 20-year old New Milford resident, Kim Montelaro, was kidnapped from the Paramus Park shopping center in broad daylight. She was brutally raped before being murdered and her body dumped at a lake in Washington Township.

Several days later, Christopher Righetti of River Vale, a repeat offender, was arrested, tried for the crime and found guilty. The trial lasted several weeks during which time her parents listened to the painful details of their daughter’s final moments on earth.

Righetti’s life sentence brought little comfort to the Montelaro's as he has come up for parole several times and each time they had to relive that day.

In 2009, Chief Randy Ciocco, Washington Twp. Police Dept., Rep. Robert Schroeder and myself, along with a bus load of supporters, met the Montelaro’s at the Parole Board in Trenton for Righetti’s latest hearing. We brought with us over a thousand signed petitions opposing his parole which was ultimately denied. At the time we were told he would not be eligible again until 2022.

We were recently informed that Righetti, through a loophole in the system, is coming up for parole again this spring. His only roots are in Bergen County and would most likely return here if paroled.

The Montelaro’s will again relive their horror and again we are mobilizing to oppose this travesty.  Together with Patch, Representative Schroeder and his group, Keep N.J. Safe, the Washington Twp. Police Dept. and New Milford Police Dept., a petition drive opposing Righetti’s parole is underway. Click here to sign the petition. It is our goal to beat our total from 2009.

Kim can no longer speak for herself so it is up to us, her community, to speak on her behalf and at the same time lend our voices to the thousands of women who have been victimized, but have not come forward. 

Thank you for your time and thank you for joining us in opposing Righetti’s parole, as I am sure that you feel as strongly about this as I do.   

Yours truly,

Frank Papapietro

Chief of Police