HARRISBURG, PA — A Westmoreland County judge has resentenced John Veltre, 69, to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1973 murders of two young children and the brutal assault of their mother, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Thursday.
Veltre was 16 years old at the time of the crimes and was initially sentenced to two mandatory life sentences. His case was eligible for review under a U.S. Supreme Court decision ordering the reconsideration of all mandatory life sentences imposed on juveniles.
The Office of Attorney General opposed any sentence reduction, citing the brutality of the crime and Veltre’s refusal to accept full responsibility. On June 27, the court agreed and reimposed the life sentence without parole.
In the 1973 case, Veltre entered a young mother’s home, raped and assaulted her, and then killed her infant and two-year-old daughters with blunt force trauma. The mother survived the attack.
“I am an advocate for second chances when they are appropriate — however, some crimes are just too heinous and harmful to the community to warrant relief,” the attorney general said.
Officials emphasised that the resentencing was carried out under full judicial review, as required by federal precedent, and that Veltre continues to pose a threat to public safety.
The decision keeps Veltre in prison for the rest of his life, with no chance of parole.
