My Name is Marie Rose Belcastro and I Was Murdered At 94
My name is Marie Rose Belcastro. I was born on September 9, 1920. And I was murdered on March 31, 2015, at age 94.
I am a 1939 graduate of Niles McKinley High School, a former Packard Electric employee, and a former Trumbull County School Bus driver and aide. Most importantly, I am a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
During my time on Earth, I loved house plants, playing cards, cooking, and, most importantly, spending time with my family. I also love fly fishing, an activity I learned on my 90th birthday. And I was very involved in Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church in Niles, Ohio. At 94, I lived independently in a modest ranch house on 509 Cherry Street. I lived there for 65 years. And I died there, on March 31, 2015.
My killer, Jacob Larosa, broke into my home. He ripped off my pants and underwear and attempted to rape me. And he beat me to death with a heavy metal flashlight. At around 4 feet, 8 inches tall, and 80 pounds, I couldn’t defend myself against Larosa. He shattered my hearing aid. He caused my eyes to rupture. And he crushed bones in my face and the top of my skull. An open-casket funeral was impossible.
It was my daughter who found me, naked from the waist down, and twisted awkwardly into a fetal position.
Reminders of my murder were literally engrained into my home–my brain matter and skull fragments were embedded into the walls and my blood went through the hardwood floors of my bedroom to the basement walls and appliances.
My murderer was sentenced to life without parole. But Senate Bill 256 retroactively erased his sentence and makes him eligible for parole every 5 years. My family will now be forced to speak up during Larosa’s parole hearings to convince the parole board not to release him.
My family forgives Larosa. And so do I. But forgiveness does not mean relief from consequences. Larosa should find redemption in prison where he cannot harm others the way he harmed me.
My grandson Brian is fighting to fix SB 256 so that our family does not have to defend their safety, and yours, every 5 years, at Larosa’s parole hearings. Society should be protected from murderers like Larosa, Gregory Prysock, Gavon Ramsay, and Jemmie Whisenant. Please consider helping out with my family’s grassroots efforts to fix SB 256. You can also sign our Change.org petition.
You should contact Ohio House Speaker Robert Cupp here and Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman here. And contact Ohio Governor Mike DeWine here. Tell them to stand up for victims like me and fix SB 256. The following is an example of what you can write.
Dear (Senator Huffman, Representative Cupp, or Governor DeWine, whoever you are writing to):
I am writing to request that Senate Bill 256 from the 133rd General Assembly be amended or repealed. SB 256 mandates frequent and unnecessary parole chances for violent felons, including rapists and murderers at the expense of victims and their families. This goes against basic common sense and victim rights.
Sincerely (your name)
Visit OhioCSF.com or watch this episode of the Roberta Glass True Crime Report to learn more about me, my family, my murderer, and the fight against SB 256.
Thank you for reading.
Sincerely,
Marie Rose Belcastro
