A Bristol County man has been denied parole after being convicted of killing and then burying his mother.
According to the Parole Board, on May 4th, 2011, then 17-year-old Matthew Worster murdered his mother, Beth Spartichino, at their home in Easton by shooting her. That morning, Worster called his father with his mother’s phone and left a voicemail stating, “I did what I had to do but know that I will be alright.” Worster’s father called the police in the late afternoon and told them that his son may have done something to his ex-wife. Police spoke with Worster’s younger brother, who told them that Worster had admitted to shooting their mother. Police responded to the house and found a large patch of disturbed earth in the backyard of the home. The next day, police unearthed Spartichino’s body.
On August 14th, 2015, in Bristol County Superior Court, Worster pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. On August 21st, 2015, he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for murder and concurrent terms of 2 years for each of the firearm offenses.
Worster recently had an initial hearing before the Board. The Board reviewed the facts and circumstances of the underlying crime and Dr. Guidry’s evaluation. The Board considered Worster’s age at the time of offense and noted that he only recently started processing the full extent of his trauma history.
Worster engaged in programming and educational programming and has been disciplinary report free since 2017. The Board encourages Worster to continue his rehabilitation efforts. The Board considered testimony in support of parole from two of Worster’s family members, as well as a friend. The Board considered testimony in opposition to parole from three of Spartichino’s family members and from Bristol County Assistant District Attorney Jason Mohan.
The Board concluded that Worster has not demonstrated a level of rehabilitation that would make his release compatible with the welfare of society.
