Rolando Terrell may indeed be the generous, gentle man his family and friends described in numerous letters praising the convicted felon. But any acts of kindness on his part only highlight Terrell’s egomania and narcissism, Superior Court Judge Joseph Cassini III said.
“Even Adolf Hitler was kind, benevolent and considerate to his inner circle of friends and loved ones,” Cassini said before sentencing Terrell on Wednesday to life in prison without parole for his part in the 2008 slaying of a woman and three teenage girls in Irvington.
Like Hitler, the judge said, “Mr. Terrell has a very dark side.”
In April, a jury convicted Terrell, 39, of robbery and related arson and weapons charges but failed to reach a verdict on the murder counts. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday it intends to retry Terrell for the four killings.
Terrell, a reputed ranking Bloods gang member with a long criminal history, remains charged with the Sept. 8, 2008, quadruple killing. He received the life sentence on the robbery conviction under New Jersey’s “three strikes” law after having twice previously been convicted of first-degree robberies. The judge called Terrell, who has been arrested 15 times as an adult and seven times as a juvenile, “a career criminal.”
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
6 Responses
I’m not sure what’s the point of this article? Big deal, the judge was making a point that sometimes even the worst, most wicked people can be nice and kind to those close to them and therefore he wasnt buying the testimony from close family and friends. He wasnt comparing him to Hitler. We have to stop making a big deal out of everything. We are asking for it when we cry anti-semitism all the time. There is NOTHING newsworthy about this story.
Nach, I agree 100%.
Couldn’t have said it better.
Hitler was a coward who infested the world with vile hatred against Jews and G-d. The two are in completely different leagues. This criminal exhibiting animal behavior is a “rotzeiach” while the leader of the Nazis is “amelalek” in the flesh who, they and any of their offspring, cannot be forgiven but rather must and will be be annihilated. By definition that is Amalek—Unforgiven.
Of course the comparison is inappropriate, but, Boruch Hashem that this criminal is being put away for good!
Nach -“There is NOTHING newsworthy about this story.”
This statement is wrong. It shows how finally something goes right with our liberal justice system. To read all the the comments even in YWN saying how our justice system is too harsh, this is a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately thousands of criminals will be roaming the streets because California has to let them go. As far as comments that I’ve seen in YWN about the “three strikes law”, B’H they have the law in this state. Without the law, this guy would be free in a couple of years to kill again. Also, you see the criticism that they are using the law to lock up “pizza” bandits for life isn’t true.
This guy had to commit 3 first degree felonies before they applied it on him. Too bad they don’t include lesser crimes too, because if they did this guy would have been locked up way before he had his fifteenth conviction. Maybe if we weren’t so liberal these 4 people would still be alive. So libs, I understand why you don’t want the death penalty but how about a “three strikes law” with some teeth in it? Wouldn’t the prevention of 4 deaths be worth any possible mistake of locking up the “wrong” guy?!
nach,
ywn what is up with you.
i totally agree with you nach and the headline is so misleading… like the judge did something wrong. he did not.
he was making a very good point that the evilist of ppl are nice to their close ones so who cares if this guy too was nice to his close ones its not a arayah to anything! v’ho-rayah hitler!!