MONTROSE -- After more than 36 years in prison, a judge in Susquehanna County ruled Roxanne Severcool should be released as a result of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Severcool received three life sentences after her mother, brother, and father were murdered back in 1980 at their Springville Township home.
Investigators said her boyfriend at the time, Robert Fadden, pulled the trigger, but a jury also found Severcool responsible for the death of three family members. Another brother, James, was shot but survived.
Years went by before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that sentencing juveniles to life in prison was unconstitutional. Severcool was 17 years old at the time of the murder. She is now 54.
Newswatch 16 asked Severcool what would it mean to be released before she walked into the Susquehanna County Courthouse on Friday. She said, "A whole new life."
"It took quite awhile for us to sort through what she did while she was incarcerated to come up with an appropriate sentence," explained Robert Klein, District Attorney for Susquehanna County. "We don't have any guidelines at this point as far as range or what it should be."
After speaking with family members, like Uncle Harold Stockholm, both sides agreed it was time for Severcool to move on.
"We've had 36 years of this," said Stockholm. "It's time to have it over. I'm just kind of glad that it's over. Hopefully, she can do something with herself out of prison now."
A judge re-sentenced Severcool to 18-36 years in prison with time served. Severcool has already served more than 36 years in prison, meaning she could be released before Christmas.
Severcool will be returned to the state prison near Erie where she is expected to be formally released.
That being said, most family members agreed they did not want to be with Severcool once she's released. As part of her probation, Severcool is not allowed to interact with family members or even visit Susquehanna county. county.