Lincoln Park murderer to get paroled in a year

A convicted and confessed murderer from the early 1980’s will be seeing parole next year.

According to a June 4th parole board hearing and a decision rendered on June 15th, 59-year-old Charles Chaples is a suitable candidate for parole due to his behavior and participation in work, educational, and treatment programs.

According to documents from the Massachusetts Parole Board, during the early morning of March 6, 1982, Chaples broke into a Dartmouth home and took a 12-gauge shotgun, two boxes of shells, and a pair of gloves and proceeded to the area behind Lincoln Park in North Dartmouth, where he parked his vehicle. He walked through a wooded area into the park and hid behind one of the amusement rides so that he could watch the activity of the night watchmen.

Chaples observed Raymond Santos, a night watchman employed by the Park, pass by him and proceed to the Ballroom area. Chaples then walked to the back-side of the park and arrived at the warehouse area before Santos. As Santos approached the watchman station, Chaples scuffled his feet to get his attention. Santos turned around and shined the flashlight into Chaples’ face. Chaples told him to shut off the flashlight and to give him the watchman’s keys. Santos refused and, again, Chaples told him to turn off the flashlight and to give him the keys. Santos refused a second time and Chaples fired the shotgun three times which killed Santos. Santos’ body was found later that day.

The next day, Chaples was questioned by police and later confessed to the murder.

Chaples will serve his remaining year in a lower security facility. His conditions upon release involve a home curfew between 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., electronic monitoring, drug testing, abstaining from alcohol, no contact with the victim’s family, mental health counseling, and the attendance of Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.