A convicted killer who shot an NYPD cop in the head in Brooklyn nearly 40 years ago is now up for release, sparking outrage from the victim’s daughter who is pleading for him to remain behind bars for the rest of his life.
Francisco Rodriguez was just 22 years old and had been out on parole for a mere 42 days when he committed the heinous act of killing Transit Officer Robert Venable on September 22, 1987.
The daughter of the slain officer, Januari Venable, who was only 8 years old at the time of her father’s murder, made an emotional plea to the state Parole Board on October 11, expressing the devastating impact her father’s death had on her life.
“He should be in jail for the rest of his life,” she stated firmly, emphasizing the void left in her life due to her father’s absence. “Because of him I didn’t get to have a dad. I didn’t get to have somebody there for me that could tell me everything would be all right.”
Now 58 years old, Rodriguez is currently incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Facility in Dutchess County. If granted parole, he would become the 44th cop killer released by the state since 2017, a statistic that has sparked concerns among law enforcement officials and the public alike.
Officer Venable, a dedicated single father, had called his daughter on the night of his murder to let her know he would be home late. Little did they know that it would be their final conversation.
Venable, along with six other transit cops, responded to a call regarding an armed man on Pitkin Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn, while transporting prisoners. It was during this operation that Venable was shot in the head by Rodriguez, who was one of two men involved in the fatal attack.
The 35-year-old officer was rushed to the hospital but tragically succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind a grieving family and a devastated daughter who would never see her father again.
Rodriguez was subsequently convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 37 years to life in prison. However, with changes to parole board regulations in 2017, the process of evaluating a prisoner’s release has shifted, focusing more on factors such as age and behavior in prison rather than the severity of the crime committed.
Januari Venable, now 45 years old, expressed her frustration with the possibility of her father’s killer being set free, emphasizing the injustice of rewarding someone for such a horrific act.
“He’s at an age where he could have a whole life,” she lamented. “It just seems tragic that he could be rewarded for doing something so horrific.”
As she continues to fight for justice for her father, Venable urged New Yorkers to support her cause by writing letters to the parole board opposing Rodriguez’s release.
“Police Officer Robert Venable was his family’s rock, but now they’re facing an incredibly tough fight without him,” stated Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry. “We cannot let them fight alone. We need every New Yorker to step up and support them. . . . Send the the parole board a message that his killer should never walk free.”
The legacy of Officer Robert Venable lives on through his daughter’s unwavering determination to ensure that justice is served and that her father’s memory is honored.
