Just a few months after his latest application for parole was denied, a man convicted of murdering a 15-year-old girl in Watkins Glen 24 years ago is eligible for another parole hearing this month.
The Schuyler County District Attorney’s Office reports that on April 11th, Joshua Horein appeared before the New York State Parole Board at the Fishkill Correctional Facility for a DE NOVO interview to determine if he should be granted parole. His application was denied.
Horein murdered Amber Brockway, a 15-year-old girl, in the Village of Watkins Glen on August 5, 2000. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison on April 6, 2001. He first became eligible for parole in 2019 and has been denied release on multiple occasions since then.
In his most recent appearance before the Parole Board, parole commissioners noted their concern that Horein was still “casting some blame on the victim.” The board was also concerned that Horein had written Amber Brockway’s mother a letter of apology that could have been construed as intimidation. He also wrote a letter to Schuyler County District Attorney Joseph Fazzary in which he blamed him and the legal system for putting him, a 16-year-old, in prison for life. Finally, the commissioners had concerns about Horein’s lack of truthfulness during the hearing and believed that his rehabilitation was not yet complete.
Horein is eligible for another parole hearing this month which the District Attorney’s Office and family members of Amber Brockway will oppose.
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