{{Short description|American criminal (died 2020)}} {{Notability|Biographies|date=June 2020}} '''Thomas Junta''' was an American hockey dad from Reading, Massachusetts, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2002 after his attack on Michael Costin led to Costin's death.<ref>{{cite news|date=January 2, 2002|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hockey-dad-found-guilty/|title=Hockey Dad Found Guilty|publisher=CBS News|accessdate=April 15, 2014|archivedate=April 15, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415160750/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hockey-dad-found-guilty/|url-status=live}}</ref> Costin was the informal referee of a pick-up hockey game involving the men's sons.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2002-01-12/news/0201120086_1_thomas-junta-michael-costin-junta-s-family|title=Hockey Dad Guilty In Killing Of Coach|author=Harriet Ryan|newspaper=Sun-Sentinel|date=January 12, 2002|archive-date=April 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415160615/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2002-01-12/news/0201120086_1_thomas-junta-michael-costin-junta-s-family|url-status=dead}}</ref> The attack and the fight which ensued was witnessed by about a dozen children, including Junta's son and Costin's three sons.
Junta was originally charged with voluntary manslaughter. The jury acquitted him on this charge, instead convicting him of involuntary manslaughter, a lesser offense, on the basis of his claim of self-defense.<ref>{{cite news|date=January 12, 2002|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2002/jan/12/20020112-034844-9382r/?page=all|title=Jury convicts hockey dad of involuntary manslaughter|newspaper=The Washington Times|accessdate=April 15, 2014|archivedate=April 15, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415161418/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2002/jan/12/20020112-034844-9382r/?page=all|url-status=live}}</ref> Judge Charles Grabau sentenced Junta to incarceration for six to ten years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0201/25/se.02.html|title=Hockey Dad Killer Gets Six to 10 Years in Prison|agency=CNN|date=January 25, 2002|accessdate=April 15, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813054538/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0201/25/se.02.html|archivedate=August 13, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>
In April 2008, Junta was denied parole for the second time. In denying his request, the Massachusetts Parole Board said that "Junta had failed to fully accept responsibility for his actions".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.woburnonline.com/frontpage/april08/41108-3.html|title=Reading hockey dad denied parole release|publisher=Woburn Daily Times|work=Daily Times Chronicle|accessdate=April 15, 2014|archivedate=April 15, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415161901/http://www.woburnonline.com/frontpage/april08/41108-3.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Junta was released on August 27, 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/man-released-from-mass-prison-after-serving-time-for-beating-death-of-fellow-hockey-dad/|title=Man Released From Mass. Prison After Serving Time for Beating Death of Fellow Hockey Dad|agency=Fox News|date=August 27, 2010|access-date=April 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828195017/http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/08/27/hockey-dad-released-prison-serving-time-beating-death-mass-father/|archive-date=August 28, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> He died on December 16, 2020, after a battle with cancer.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}
==References== {{Reflist}} THOMAS F. "TOMMY" JUNTA - Obituary - Charlestown, MA ...
CurrentObituary.com https://www.currentobituary.com › obit Dec 16, 2020
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929133624/http://www.courttv.com/trials/junta/ Court TV coverage of Thomas Junta, the hockey dad convicted of manslaughter] *[http://usnewslink.web.aplus.net/rinkrage.htm RINK RAGE:The Killing of Michael Costin] USNewsLink, Judith Haney, 2002
{{DEFAULTSORT:Junta, Thomas}} Category:1957 births Category:2020 deaths Category:American people convicted of manslaughter Category:Deaths from cancer in Massachusetts Category:Ice hockey people from Massachusetts Category:People from Reading, Massachusetts
{{US-crime-bio-stub}} Category:Prisoners and detainees of Massachusetts