Robert Jewett, the man convicted of the 1990 murder of 17-year-old Kimberly Rock, is seeking parole during a hearing scheduled for Monday, WPRI reported.
Now 55, Jewett pled guilty to the sexual assault and murder of Rock in East Providence. At the time of the crime, he was serving time at the Rhode Island Training School for the previous sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl.
The circumstances surrounding the 1990 killing remain a point of intense scrutiny for the community. Jewett was participating in a community placement education program that allowed him to leave the training school’s premises on the day he killed Rock, according to the report from WPRI.
“He knocked on Kimberly Rock’s parents’ door, she was home sick that day,” said Carolyn Medeiros, the executive director of the Alliance for Safe Communities. “She answered, he forced his way in, and he raped and murdered her.”
The crime continues to affect the local community decades later. Medeiros stated that the killing rocked East Providence and that the impacts of the crime have not faded.
“They say time heals all wounds,” Medeiros said. “Well, not for her family. He destroyed a family. He impacted an entire community, and Rhode Islanders are very concerned, and they should be.”
East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva has also voiced opposition to the request. In a statement posted to Facebook, DaSilva expressed his belief that Jewett cannot be reintegrated into society.
“It is my opinion that this man is a strong candidate to reoffend,” DaSilva said. The mayor encouraged residents and those who knew Kimberly Rock to contact the parole board with their objections.
Jewett was a minor at the time of the offense, which allowed him to make a legal deal with the state to seek parole. This Monday hearing marks the fourth time he has requested to be released from prison.
The Rhode Island Parole Board previously denied Jewett’s request for the third time in November 2023. Members of the community, including some of Rock’s former classmates, have expressed a desire to attend the upcoming hearing, according to Medeiros.
Rock’s family has also been in contact with the Rhode Island Parole Board regarding the matter.
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