DOVER, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire man sentenced to mandatory life in prison without parole as a teenager more than 20 year ago for killing his parents has been resentenced to 40 years, with a chance at eventual release.
Robert Dingman was resentenced Tuesday under a U.S. Supreme Court ruling finding it unconstitutional to sentence juvenile offenders to mandatory life imprisonment. He’ll be eligible for parole in 17 years.
Dingman and his then-14-year-old brother, Jeffrey, fatally shot their parents in Rochester in 1996, then spent a weekend partying after hiding the bodies. His attorneys wanted him to be resentenced to 25 years; prosecutors sought 50.
Judge Tina Nadeau cited the forgiveness shown by Dingman’s relatives and the capacity for rehabilitation he has shown behind bars.
Jeffrey Dingman was released in 2013.