A man who pleaded guilty to murder in 1970 will be released from state prison more than five decades after the crime — but his release won’t mark the end of his detainment.
The man, Glenn Moniz, will be released to federal custody. He faces a federal sentence for escaping prison on furlough in the 1970s and living under a pseudonym in Florida for a decade before being captured again. Moniz will serve 18 months in federal prison on the charge of escaping custody following his release from state prison.
At one point while in custody, Moniz sued several officials at Massachusetts Correctional Institution Norfolk, where he is serving his prison sentence. A federal judge dismissed the suit.
On April 6, 1970, Moniz pleaded guilty to a single count of second degree murder for killing Walter Cavanaugh. About a month earlier, on March 1, 1970, Moniz and an accomplice, John Hoffmaster, shot and killed Cavanaugh, then 29, inside a room at the Huntington Hotel in Boston.
Moniz and Hoffmaster rented a room at the hotel on Feb. 27, 1970. On March 1, Hoffmaster and Cavanaugh were seen entering the hotel and going directly to the room. The next day, Cavanaugh’s body was found inside the hotel room. He had been shot at least seven times.
Just days after the murder, Moniz and Hoffmaster were arrested for a bank robbery. At the time, Moniz was wearing Cavanaugh’s jacket and Hoffmaster was found with ammunition matching the type used to kill Cavanaugh.
In 1976, Moniz escaped custody on the underlying charge of robbery, for which he had received a 12-year sentence. He was found in Florida 10 years later.
Five years before the Cavanaugh murder, when he was 16, Moniz killed his mother, the parole board wrote in its decision. He was released after spending about four years in custody for that murder.
Now 76, Moniz had not appeared before the Parole Board for more than a decade before his hearing in January. In its decision, the board notes Moniz’s declining mobility and current medical conditions.
The board also considered testimony from a psychologist who determined Moniz was at a low risk of re-offending. A Suffolk County prosecutor opposed his release.
When Moniz completes his 18-month federal sentence for escaping custody, he will be released to Florida through an interstate compact. He must also undergo counseling for childhood trauma, transition and substance abuse issues.
