Nicarico's Dad 'Disgusted' Dugan Won't Face Death Sentence
CHICAGO (WBBM) -- The father of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico, who was raped and murdered in 1983, said he was "disgusted" but not surprised that Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation ending the death penalty and commuted the sentence of his daughter's killer to life in prison.
One of those spared lethal injection by Quinn's order was Brian Dugan, the rapist condemned last fall for the 1983 murder of 10-year-old Janine Nicarico, of Naperville.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Bob Roberts Reports
Podcast
"Disgusted, disappointed, sad. Those words all fit the bill," said Tom Nicarico by phone from the family's current home, in South Carolina. "But somehow, I'm not surprised."
He said he feels double-crossed twice -- first by former Gov. George Ryan, now by Gov. Pat Quinn. Both said they spoke with victims' families before making their decisions. That's news to Nicarico, who watched Quinn's news conference online.
"Neither one of them ever contacted us, and what's worse, neither one ever responded to our attempts to contact them, either by phone or by e-mail," he said.
Asked specifically about Quinn's decision to commute the sentence of Janine's killer, Brian Dugan, to natural life without parole, he said, "I've lost the biggest fight of his life, although he said executing Dugan for his daughter's death cannot bring Janine back.
But don't look for Nicarico among those who will lobby in Springfield to reinstate the death penalty. He said that is someone else's fight.
