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'Preppie Murder' Inmate Released From Prison

Robert Chambers, the N.Y. 'Preppie Murder' inmate has been freed after serving his full 15 year sentence.

This was a very highly sensationalized murder case in New York--even without cable news networks discussing it nightly. In 1986, Robert Chambers, a young and handsome guy who had dropped out of college, met Jennifer Levin, a student at an elite private high school in Manhattan, at a trendy bar on the Upper East Side. They then went to Central Park, had sex, and she ended up strangled to death.

Chambers said it was an accident, they had been having consensual rough sex. The DA, Linda Fairstein (remember her from her role in the interrogations of the five wrongfully convicted youths in the Central Park Jogger case? She's now a fiction writer) argued Chambers killed Jennifer in a rage.

Chambers was represented at trial by the very excellent New York criminal defense lawyer Jack Litman. After nine days of jury deliberation without a verdict, Chambers plead guilty to manslaugher--which angered the Levin family and polarized the community.
On the eve of his release, Chambers issued a statement of regret through his lawyer.

"There has not been a day since Jennifer Levin's death that I have not regretted my actions on that day," the one-paragraph statement said. "I know that the Levin family continues to suffer her loss, and I am deeply sorry for the grief I have caused them."

In the statement, Chambers also said he would like to pursue a college degree and begin paying the $25 million wrongful death settlement awarded the Levin family. He said he would not grant interviews after his release.

Chambers incurred several disciplinary infractions while in prison, resulting in him having to serve the full 15 years. Obviously, it was not easy time for him. But because he did the whole sentence, he doesn't have to be on or under supervision.

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