A construction worker who killed an 18-month-old boy in 1988 in western Massachusetts took responsibility for his actions and was paroled last month.
Ronald Bonnoyer pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Jean Thibault. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Bonnoyer has postponed numerous parole board hearings since 2003. On September 30, 2025, Bonnoyer appeared before the Commission.
During the hearing, Bonnoyer spoke with the parole board about what happened in 1988.
Bonnoye was living in Agawam with his girlfriend and their son. The mother put her son to bed around 7 p.m. and left the apartment about two hours later to buy alcohol at Bonnoyer’s request.
When she returned half an hour later, she heard Bonnoyer talking to his ex-wife on the phone: “If you need to do anything for me, pray for me now. I need a miracle.”
He also said he would “leave tomorrow.”
The next morning, Bonnoyer again asked the woman to get him more wine. When she returned from the packing store around 9:30 a.m., she asked Bonnoyer if Jean was still sleeping and he said he was.
She eventually went in to check on the child, only to find he wasn’t there. When she asked about Jean’s location, Bonnoyer changed his story several times. He implies that Gene is still in his room, or that the children are playing hide and seek. He then said he sold the child for $10,000.
She reported her son’s disappearance to the Agawam police station.
They found the child’s body inside a garbage bag in a nearby dumpster. The cause of death was later determined to be blunt force trauma. The child had marks consistent with being beaten with a shoe heel, The Republican reported in 1989.
Bonnoyer was 32 years old when he pleaded guilty. He told the judge he would “give my life … if it would bring the boy back,” The Republican reported.
Bonnoyer, 68, has been incarcerated for 37 years and suffers from multiple health problems.
He has been sober for 32 years. He has received few disciplinary reports, the last of which was more than 20 years ago, according to the parole board. He also earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston University while incarcerated.
“He accepted responsibility for his actions and gained insight into the causative factors of his criminal behavior,” the parole board wrote.
He was paroled on February 12.
More information about the Massachusetts Parole Board
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