Chenango County man convicted of murder in 1975 released on parole
NORWICH – Stephen Dale Pierce, 58, of Plymouth, was released yesterday from prison – on parole – back into the Norwich area. Convicted in Chenango County Court of murder and first-degree manslaughter in relation to the death of a 16-year-old girl in 1975 – there were no degrees of murder in the New York States laws at the time – Pierce was sentenced to 25 years to life and has been incarcerated in a New York State Prison ever since.
It had been alleged that in June of 1974, the then 19-year-old Pierce offered a ride to Wendy Cooper, 16, who was on her way to her Plymouth Street home.
Following a three month long missing persons investigation, conducted by the Norwich Police Department, Cooper’s unclothed and badly decomposed body was discovered near a shale pit in the Town of Plymouth a few miles outside of Norwich.
According to a disposition from an appeal of the Chenango County Court judgement filed on January 29, 1976, Pierce confessed to attempting to rape Cooper and failing that, murdered her. Specifically, it was stated that he had taken Cooper to a secluded location, divorced her of her clothing during a scuffle and attempted to rape her. The evidence showed that Pierce murdered Cooper either during the commission of the attempted rape or directly afterwards to prevent her from telling on him, also according to the 1976 disposition. The cause of Cooper’s death was determined to be a blow to her head with a blunt object.
Chenango County’s parole division will be monitoring Pierce and law enforcement agencies throughout the county, including the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and the Norwich City Police, have been sent his current address and photo by the NYS Division of Correction and Community Supervision.
Pierce’s half-sister, Bonnie Campbell, 61, originally of Norwich, and who served as a character witness on his behalf during the 1975 trial, in contrast went on to pursue a successful career in law. She has been elected the Iowa Attorney General, named in 1995 by President Bill Clinton as the nation’s first director of the Justice Department’s Violence Against Women office, nominated twice by President Clinton to serve as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and in 1997 was named by Time magazine as one of its 25 most influential Americans.
It had been alleged that in June of 1974, the then 19-year-old Pierce offered a ride to Wendy Cooper, 16, who was on her way to her Plymouth Street home.
Following a three month long missing persons investigation, conducted by the Norwich Police Department, Cooper’s unclothed and badly decomposed body was discovered near a shale pit in the Town of Plymouth a few miles outside of Norwich.
According to a disposition from an appeal of the Chenango County Court judgement filed on January 29, 1976, Pierce confessed to attempting to rape Cooper and failing that, murdered her. Specifically, it was stated that he had taken Cooper to a secluded location, divorced her of her clothing during a scuffle and attempted to rape her. The evidence showed that Pierce murdered Cooper either during the commission of the attempted rape or directly afterwards to prevent her from telling on him, also according to the 1976 disposition. The cause of Cooper’s death was determined to be a blow to her head with a blunt object.
Chenango County’s parole division will be monitoring Pierce and law enforcement agencies throughout the county, including the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and the Norwich City Police, have been sent his current address and photo by the NYS Division of Correction and Community Supervision.
Pierce’s half-sister, Bonnie Campbell, 61, originally of Norwich, and who served as a character witness on his behalf during the 1975 trial, in contrast went on to pursue a successful career in law. She has been elected the Iowa Attorney General, named in 1995 by President Bill Clinton as the nation’s first director of the Justice Department’s Violence Against Women office, nominated twice by President Clinton to serve as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and in 1997 was named by Time magazine as one of its 25 most influential Americans.
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