Peter Braunstein, the convicted attacker who posed as a firefighter to get into a Chelsea apartment on Halloween 2005, has now told a newspaper he would sooner kill than be paroled, writing that “the only way I'm leaving prison is in a body bag.” The line appears in a letter that surfaced this summer and has reignited public concern about his long-running fight for release, keeping his case at the center of debates over parole, public safety and how officials weigh violent writing in prison files.
According to the New York Post, the note, dated June 12, includes the body bag quote and a longer passage the paper described as a mini novel titled “Infinite Wishes.” The Post reports that Braunstein, now in his early 60s, sent the material from his upstate facility and presented it as part of his file for parole consideration.
Braunstein’s crimes are well documented. On Oct. 31, 2005, prosecutors say he set smoke bombs in a Chelsea building, posed as a firefighter to gain entry, chloroformed and bound a former colleague, and sexually abused her for more than a dozen hours while allegedly videotaping parts of the attack. Vanity Fair and contemporaneous reporting described the weeks long manhunt that followed, ending with his capture in Tennessee and his 2007 conviction on multiple counts.
Parole fight and public safety concerns
Prosecutors told the Parole Board last year that Braunstein remains a serious risk, submitting a July 25, 2025 letter that said he had “shown himself to be a determined, angry and vengeful man.” ABC News reported that Braunstein waived a scheduled appearance on Aug. 19, 2025 and was denied parole. The state says his next full opportunity to appear before the board is August 2027. The district attorney’s filing pointed to Braunstein’s pattern of prison letters and prior threats as reasons to keep him behind bars.
Why the June letter matters
Violent language in inmate correspondence can tip the scales in closed parole deliberations, and the New York Post’s publication of Braunstein’s June note gives prosecutors fresh material to cite. The Post’s reporting indicates that the letter contains extended passages the paper described as fictionalized and threatening, the sort of writing that can quickly end up in a parole file. For victims and neighbors, the note is a stark reminder of why parole decisions in high profile sex crime cases remain so intensely contested, and why no one is in a hurry to test Braunstein’s promises on the outside.
Conviction and past behavior
Braunstein was convicted in May 2007 of kidnapping, sexual abuse, robbery and burglary and was sentenced to an indeterminate term of 18 years to life. CBS News covered the sentencing and the judge’s admonition that Braunstein’s actions terrorized women who trust emergency responders. Prosecutors say his prison record, which they describe as including attempts to contact an ex girlfriend and disciplinary infractions, has been central to their argument against parole.
For now, the Parole Board’s confidential files and any future hearing materials will be where Braunstein’s own words are weighed against the city’s safety. The board’s proceedings are not public, but prosecutors, victims’ advocates and corrections officials can submit written materials for the panel to consider, and the June note is likely to become part of that record. Court filings and parole records will show whether anything changes his status before 2027.
