WILKES-BARRE -- It's been nearly two decades since a man from Lackawanna County lost his wife when a 15-year-old boy murdered her.
But this week, for the first time since the 1999 tragedy, Robert Algar heard directly from his wife's killer.
Robert Algar of Dickson City still thinks about the day his wife Diana died almost 16 years ago.
“Time heals all wounds. This is a wound that doesn't go away,” he said.
It was 1999, when Diana Algar offered then 15-year-old Kenneth Crawford and his friend food and shelter at a campground in Luzerne County. But it ended when Crawford robbed, beat and then shot Diana twice in the head.
Crawford was sentenced to life in prison without parole. But that may change.
“We may have to have sentencing hearings for those juveniles,” said Jim McMonagle of the Luzerne County district attorney's office, all because of a new Supreme Court ruling.
The ruling says teens sentenced to life in prison have to have a chance to argue why they should be let out. That new law applies to two teen murderer cases in Luzerne County.
“If the court would decide they're eligible for parole, those people could be paroled, but their convictions are not overturned,” said McMonagle.
“They should be put away for the rest of their lives. That was the sentence, and that's what I was assured,” Algar said.
The ruling happened just last month. Then, this week, Algar heard from his wife's killer, Crawford, for the first time in an apology letter. An attorney representing Crawford tells Newswatch 16 the letter was written more than a year ago. Still, Algar questions the motive behind the letter.
“I mean if there's even a one percent chance that they're not telling the truth,” Algar said. “And that this is just a scheme to get out and we're gonna put these people amongst us again, so that other people can suffer, that's not law and justice that's chaos.”
The D.A.'s office says before Crawford can be sentenced again, the convicted killer would have to petition the court for parole.