Malloy Signs Bill Pushed by Family of Murdered Valley Teen

OXFORD, CT - The Stochmal family has won a big victory in their fight for justice for family member Joyce Stochmal, who was brutally murdered when she was 19 years old in 1984.

Last year David Weinberg, convicted in 1989 of the 1984 stabbing murder of Joyce Stochmal of Seymour — was released on time served, following seven years of work by the Connecticut Innocence Project.

The approval of a "sentence modification" by Judge Roland D. Fasano allowed Weinberg, 58, to be released after serving 26 years of a 60-year "life sentence" — although credit for good behavior and other time he earned raised the time he is credited with serving to 39 years and 27 days.

On the Justice for Joyce Facebook page, Joyce’s sister Marianne Stochmal Heffernan Friday morning posted that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has signed into law a bill that the family has fought long and hard for.

This is what the Facebook page says:

“This popped up at the top of my personal email this morning!

“AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO PROMOTE EFFICIENCIES IN THE FILING OF HABEAS CORPUS MATTERS, was signed by Gov. Dan Malloy.

“The task force will happen, and that means, real change and hopefully, real POSITIVE change will be made so that the habeas corpus process in Connecticut is fair, efficient, and operating in the way it is intended to: providing opportunity for wrongfully incarcerated persons to have a chance at being released innocent, and respecting victims' families by notifying them of these habeas claims so they can stand up for their family members and fight the wrongful release of guilty persons.

“My family and I are incredibly grateful to all of YOU who helped us to reach out to legislators, to urge them to support this bill, to get it through the wickets and to the Governor's desk for his signature. And thank you to Gov. Malloy for doing the right thing and signing this bill so that a habeas task force can be named and can get to work in 2019.

“This is the way to get justice. THANK YOU!!!!! Thanks once again to the legislators who stood up to help us get this done: Rep. Themis Klarides, Nicole Klarides-Ditria, State Rep. Arthur O'Neill, State Representative William A. Petit, Jr., State Senator Eric Berthel, State Senator Tony Hwang, State Senator Paul Doyle, State Representative Rosa Rebimbas, and so many others.

“We are grateful for the support and attention to this very important fix for CT's judicial system.”