Man sentenced to life in prison at 17 released 40+ years later

PITTSBURGH — Jeffrey Cristina was 16 years old when he robbed an elderly man of $15 and a portable TV in 1975. The victim died days later and, at age 17, Cristina was sentenced to life in prison without  parole.

For 41 years, Cristina thought he would spend the rest of his life in jail for the crime he committed as a teen. But because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, he walked out of prison a free man Saturday with what he called a second chance at life.

"I wanted to be a better person than I was when I went in," Cristina said.

Cristina, now 58, received the life sentence after he and two others robbed 83-year-old Frank Slazinski inside his Lawrenceville apartment. Slazinski died a few days after the robbery, and Cristina was convicted of second-degree murder.

He became eligible for resentencing after the 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruled it's unconstitutional to sentence a juvenile to life in prison without parole. The ruling can be applied retroactively and in August, Cristina was given a new sentence of 20 years to life, making him eligible for parole.

Cristina and his loved ones said he is a changed man.

"We're thanking God he's home," said his niece, Melanie Cristina. "It's a miracle he's home because if they wouldn't have changed the laws ... he would have never came home."

Though the Supreme Court's ruling came down in 2012, it took four years for Jeffrey Cristina's resentencing process. He credited his attorney's hard work for his release.

Cristina said he was excited and overwhelmed walking out of prison for the first time in his adult life.

"It felt kind of surreal. It's hard to believe and I was just trying to take in all the sites," he said. "I'm just going to enjoy life and my family and take things one day at a time."

Cox Media Group