In 1992, fifteen-year-old Shon McHugh murdered Yngve Raustein, a 21-year-old exchange student from Norway attending MIT.
Joseph Donovan, then 17, and another young man accompanied McHugh that night. Joe was charged with "felony murder," a legal theory which holds an "accomplice" accountable for the acts of another.
Even though he did not murder the MIT student and was unarmed during the confrontation, Joe was tried as an adult, convicted and sentenced to a life sentence behind bars.
Tried as a juvenile, McHugh served less than 11 years for the murder he committed.
This site is dedicated to supporting Joe and his plea for a review of his case by the authorities. There is ample justification for a full commutation of his sentence and release from prison.
Joe also expressed true remorse for his role in the murder of Yngve Raustein, without reservations. He continues to express sincere empathy for the terrible loss experienced by the Raustein family and the pain he helped to cause.
The dramatic inequity between the sentences of McHugh and Joe Donovan is clear.
The murder of Yngve Raustein was crime in which the culpability of one person far exceeded others. The disparity between Joe's sentence and that of the killer, as well as Joe's limited participation in the offense, gives rise to a question: Does continued incarceration of Joe Donovan serve anybody's best interests?
We ask you to sign this petition in support of Joe and the idea that 17 years in prison satisfies the appropriate charges for Joe's role in Yngve Raustein's tragic death. The great expense the state faces for further imprisonment and the loss of any useful role Joe could play in the world.
