The drunk driver who decapitated 7-year-old flower girl Katie Flynn and also killed the family's hired chauffeur after a Long Island wedding has been released from prison, sparking outrage among the victims' family members who have blasted the "liberalism" of New York after the driver was released on parole.
Martin Heidgen, 43, was convicted of second-degree murder for the fatal crash on Meadowbrook Parkway that killed 7-year-old Katie Flynn and limousine driver Stanley Rabinowitz following her aunt's wedding on Long Island. After serving 19 years in prison, Heidgen was released on Wednesday, having been granted parole in August—much to the dismay and anger of the families of the victims.
Nothing but Only Disappointment
"This liberalism is a bullet into the back of the families who suffer the loss of their loved ones," Joyce Rabinowitz-Schuster. the driver's widow, said in an email to The Post.
"There is no accountability in New York State anymore. Murder should be 25 years minimum. Crime is rising in NYS because of these dismissive attitudes and it must stop," she wrote.
"My family and the Flynns and Tangney families [Katie's maternal grandparents] realize this crime every day and the hundreds of other friends and family members of the victims involved in this murder," Rabinowitz Schuster said. "Shame on the parole board who released a murderer."
Heidgen, then 24, drove his pickup truck the wrong way for nearly three miles before crashing head-on into the limo returning from a beachfront wedding in Bayville, Newsday reported.
Authorities said that his blood alcohol level was over three times the legal limit at the time of the crash.
In the limousine were 7-year-old Katie, her 5-year-old sister Grace, their parents Neil and Jennifer Flynn, and Jennifer's parents, Denise and Chris Tangney, a retired Nassau County officer. The wedding was for Jennifer's sister.
In a statement to Newsday, which first reported Heidgen's release, Katie's parents expressed that the parole board's decision to free the man who killed their daughter has had a "profound impact" on their family.
"We asked that the public may know our sadness and feel our pain," Jennifer Flynn told the outlet. "Katie was murdered as a 7-year-old girl; where her murderer lives, imprisoned or paroled, makes no difference in our lives.
"We realize that our news cycle is over, but it is our hope that your readers think of us and that we influence their choices."
Family Still Reeling from Loss
Heidgen was sentenced to 19 years to life after being convicted of two counts of murder, three counts of first-degree assault, and tampering with physical evidence, according to state officials.
While in prison, he tried to appeal the verdict, but his efforts were denied.
A spokesperson for the state DOCCS confirmed on Sunday that a parole board granted Heidgen conditional release on August 13, and he was officially released on Wednesday.
As part of his release conditions, Heidgen must stay within the state unless granted permission to travel.
Heidgen's lawyer told Newsday in a statement that his client is still deeply affected by the tragic incident.
"Both Marty and his family are grateful to the parole board of recognizing that it is appropriate for Marty to be released on parole and allow him to reenter society and become a productive and constructive member of our community," the lawyer, Stephen LaMagna, told the outlet.
"He is and remains forever remorseful for all of the pain he has caused to so many and continues to pray for them and their families," LaMagna said in the statement.
