SAUGUS, MA — A Massachusetts man serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of his elderly neighbor has been denied parole for the third time, according to the state’s parole board.
Christopher Berry, now 53, was just 16 years old when he murdered 87-year-old Virginia Woodward in her Saugus home on December 26, 1987. He has spent 37 years in prison for the crime.
On the night of the murder, Berry had hosted a party at his home where he consumed alcohol, marijuana, Xanax, and mescaline. After getting into a violent argument with his father, he was kicked out of the house.
Berry then broke into Woodward’s home across the street, initially intending to steal money and valuables. Instead, he found her in bed and stabbed her eight times with a butcher knife — in the head, chest, abdomen, arms, and hands. He also extinguished a cigarette on her forehead after the attack.
He was arrested shortly after police discovered Woodward’s body the following day.
Berry was convicted of first-degree murder and armed burglary with assault in 1991 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. However, a 2013 ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court made juvenile offenders eligible for parole after 15 years, allowing Berry to seek release.
His most recent hearing was held in February 2025, and on August 13, the parole board denied his release, citing concerns over his judgment, coping skills, anger issues, and unresolved substance abuse problems.
He has now been denied parole three times — in 2015, 2019, and 2025 — and will be eligible for review again in two years.
The board encouraged Berry to continue participating in programs that address relapse prevention, decision-making, and anger management, and requested confirmation of his disassociation from gang affiliations.
Essex County Assistant District Attorney Dawn Masterson testified in opposition to Berry’s release.
