Assemblyman Brian Maher (R,C-Walden), family and childhood friends of Danny Meyer are launching an online petition and letter-writing campaign to keep Juan Peinado behind bars. Danny was murdered by Peinado in 1996 as the boy was on his way to a all-star baseball game in the Village of Maybrook located within the Town of Montgomery in Orange County. After 25 years of incarceration, Peinado became eligible for parole for the first time in 2021 but was denied due to a large outcry from the public and strong testimony from Danny’s family. However, the law allows murderers like Peinado to have a parole hearing every two years. Peinado is scheduled for his next parole hearing in August 2023.

“At the age of 11 and growing up only a few miles away when Danny was brutally murdered, I remember how much our community was impacted in a way we never fully recovered from”, said Maher.“Danny was a happy, kind and bright boy whose life was cruelly taken too soon by Juan Peinado. This murderer must serve his entire sentence in order for there to be continued justice for Danny and his loving family and friends,” continued Maher. “The murder of a child should grieve all of us, and such killers rob the beautiful contributions Danny’s life would have given to our society. I strongly encourage the public to advocate alongside Danny’s family for the denial of parole for Danny’s murderer. Join us in signing the online petition, write a letter to the NYS Parole Board and encourage everyone you know to do the same.”

“Danny enjoyed skateboarding, searching for turtles, playing Sega Genesis, participating in the boy scouts, riding his bike with the neighborhood kids, listening to music and of course playing baseball,” said Kristen Smith, Danny’s sister. “My brother had his whole life ahead of him and he was just beginning his journey when he was taken from us. One person was responsible for this senseless loss of life. Justice was served 27 years ago, and continued justice was served two years ago. We are here to remind those at the parole board that our loss is permanent, and we want justice to be permanent as well.”

“My son should have played high school baseball, he should have been an Eagle Scout, he should have graduated and got married and had children of his own,” said Danny’s mother Jill Meyer.“Words cannot describe the pain that our family continues to feel when we consider the possibility that Danny’s killer has a chance to be freed from prison. I want to say thank you to those who choose to sign and share our petition or write a letter to the parole board and I want to say thank you for all the loving messages and prayers. A monster killed my son, not a monster in his closet or under his bed, an actual monster. Our nightmare continues every day, and our family is asking our community to please help us keep this murderer in prison.”

Maher encourages people to both sign the petition and write personal letters to the parole board:

• Sign the petition: https://tinyurl.com/JusticeforDanny2023
• Write a letter online to the NYS Board of Parole: https://doccs.ny.gov/form/letters-in-support-or-opposition. Please be sure to include Juan Peinado’s corrections identification number, DIN: 97A7185.
• Write and mail a physical letter directly to the prison’s parole department:

Great Meadow Correctional Facility
11739 NY - 22
Comstock, NY 12821
Attn: Parole Department
SORC Zimmerman

Please be sure to include Juan Peinado’s corrections identification number, DIN: 97A7185.

Questions about the petition or writing letters to the Parole Board may be directed to Meghan Hurlburt, chief of staff to Assemblyman Maher. Meghan may be contacted by calling 845-379-5001 or emailing hurlburtm@nyassembly.gov.