A sentence of life imprisonment was imposed here yesterday on Thomas A. Ruppert, 18, for starting a fire in the Yonkers Jewish Community Center in December 1965 which killed nine children and three adults. The youth was found guilty on 24 overlapping counts of first degree murder and one count of first degree arson in the fatal blaze.
Westchester County Judge Robert E. Dempsey imposed 24 life sentences for the deaths and sentence of 10 to 25 years for the arson. The 25 terms are to be served concurrently. The youth protested, after the sentencing, that he was innocent. His lawyer, Mrs. Eleanor Jackson Piel, told Judge Dempsey she would appeal the sentences.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
