A Massachusetts woman serving life for a notorious Whitman hammer killing in 1988 has been denied parole again, after the state Parole Board unanimously rejected her latest bid for release on June 29.Teresa Brugliera, 57, was convicted in 1989 of first-degree murder for the March 12, 1988 hammer killing of 25-year-old David John Regan. Brugliera was 19 at the time and was known then as Edward Voisine. Her life sentence remains in place, and she continues to be held at the women’s state prison in Framingham. The board scheduled her next parole hearing for three years from now.
Parole Board Cites Continued Treatment Needs
In a written decision, the board said Brugliera “needs, and would benefit from, further treatment within the Department of Correction” and noted that she “appears to have only recently demonstrated more consistent positive change.” The ruling also pointed to a lengthy record of disciplinary write-ups, 45 in all, as part of its reasoning. Those findings appear in a decision reviewed by The Boston Globe.
How Prosecutors Say The Killing Unfolded
Prosecutors say that during the March 1988 incident, Brugliera phoned an ex-girlfriend and said she “felt like she wanted to kill someone.” According to authorities, she later called back and said, “It’s done.”
Two days after the attack, Brugliera allegedly drove Regan’s car to an area in Brockton and set it on fire. Investigators later linked items found in her possession to Regan, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office. That office has repeatedly opposed parole at Brugliera’s hearings and has emphasized the brutality of the crime in its filings.
Legal Shift Opened Door To Parole Review
Brugliera’s life sentence originally carried no chance of parole. That changed after a 2024 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling that restricted mandatory life-without-parole sentences for “emerging adults” between 18 and 20 years old.
The decision, known as Mattis, relied on brain-development research and reset parole eligibility for that age group. The court’s opinion is available via Law.Justia.
What Comes Next And Local Reaction
The Parole Board set Brugliera’s next life-sentence review for three years and left room for her to be referred to additional treatment programs within the Department of Correction if officials recommend it.
Victims’ advocates and the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office had opposed release at earlier hearings, and they continued to push against parole in recent proceedings. The board’s timeline, its reasoning, and the latest denial are outlined in reporting by The Boston Globe.
