James Riva II, a Massachusetts man convicted of murdering his grandmother in 1980 and drinking her blood, has been denied parole for the sixth time. The Massachusetts State Parole Board issued a statement in January confirming the denial, citing concerns from Riva’s family members, who fear potential retaliation if he were released.
Riva, now 67, was found guilty in 1981 of murdering his 74-year-old grandmother, Carmen Lopez, in her home in Marshfield, Massachusetts, on April 10, 1980. He was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder, along with an additional 19 to 20 years for arson.
According to the parole board’s statement, on the day of the crime, Lopez asked Riva to assist with her laundry. At some point, he retrieved a gun from the basement and shot her multiple times. He then dragged her body into the bedroom, where he reportedly tore open her pajamas and drank blood from her wounds. Afterward, he poured dry gas on her body, set her on fire, and quickly fled the scene.
Shortly after, Riva returned to the residence with his father, where officers were investigating the fire. Authorities questioned him at the scene and arrested him the following day.
The parole board cited the particularly brutal nature of the crime and concerns from Riva’s family as primary reasons for denying his parole. His relatives expressed fears that he might seek revenge if released.
Riva, who was 23 at the time of the murder, has claimed that he believed he was a vampire and that voices instructed him to kill his grandmother. However, the court found him guilty and sentenced him accordingly.
Despite multiple attempts to gain parole over the years, he has remained incarcerated, with the board consistently rejecting his appeals due to the heinous nature of his crime and the continued objections from those affected.
