Harry De La Roche

Passions

Notable

American homicide: killed his mother, father and two brothers in 1976. He was home for Thanksgiving from his first year in college, November 1976. He had started at The Citadel three months prior, a strict military school in South Carolina. He had two younger brothers, Ronnie, 15, (born March 24, 1961) and Eric, 12, (born May 21, 1964). At 18, Harry was 6'3", a nervous chain smoker in glasses who bit his fingernails. A loner and a bookworm, he had an above average IQ. On 11/24/1976, 4:10 AM, he drove to a local tavern three blocks from his house, jumped out and hollered, "Come quick to my house! I've just found my parents and younger brother dead and my middle brother missing." His mom and dad had both been shot twice in the head. Eric had been shot three times but died of a blow to the dead, all three determined by forensics to have been killed about 3:00 AM. Later, Ronnie was found in the attic, shot once. Harry broke down within hours and confessed. He did not want to go back to the military school and was afraid to tell his dad, and said that he 'd flipped out. The trial began 1/05/1978 with a legal defense of temporary insanity. The verdict came down on 1/26/1978 of guilty on four counts of first degree murder. Harry was given life in prison, eligible for parole in 15 years.