It was a normal night for Seth Collier. He was 18 years old and was walking home from his shift at a Liverpool Burger King. Then, his life was stolen from him. 

On March 21, 2017, Collier was struck in a hit-and-run crash on North Salina Street, and he died of his injuries on March 23, 2017. The driver was Peter Rauch, a former Onondaga County District Attorney’s office investigator. Rauch had at least 17 drinks, and his blood alcohol content was two times the legal limit. The former DA investigator drank at three separate establishments that night with former Syracuse firefighter Ted Ackerman and Buffalo resident Benjamin Mahshie.

Rauch drove in a county-owned and -assigned vehicle to each establishment after consuming several alcoholic drinks. After hitting Collier, Rauch fled the scene of the crash, failing to call an ambulance. Rauch pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatal crash and was sentenced to two to six years in prison. He was released from prison on Wednesday, only four years after the incident. 

The maximum sentence for both felonies he was convicted of is six years. An inmate that has demonstrated good behavior, however, can be released after only two-thirds of their maximum sentence. For good behavior, Rauch was released after only four years in prison and now is on parole for the remaining two years.  

The parole board was wrong in their decision to release Rauch early. By not enforcing his maximum sentence, the parole board has shown their apparent lack of value for Collier’s life and for the suffering of everyone who knew and loved him. It is sickening that a “good track record” in prison was able to overshadow a stolen innocent life. Rauch’s selfish and reckless actions were in no way made up by his good behavior in prison. 

What happened on that fatal night was no mere accident. Rauch made a series of terrible decisions that led to the death of Collier. Having been a DA investigator, Rauch should have known the consequences of driving under the influence better than most, and he should have known to report a crash right after it happens. Yet, he did neither of those things. Four 911 callers reported the hit-and-run, none of them being Rauch, Ackerman or Mahshie. 

Mahshie was a passenger in Rauch’s car, and Ackerman was following Rauch in his truck. Both Mahshie and Ackerman were witnesses of the crash. At 2:30 a.m. that day, just after the crash, Ackerman was caught on video unplugging the surveillance system cameras at Pastime Athletic Club, one of the places where the three had been earlier that night. Ackerman was also the president of Pastime Athletic Club at the time. 

Rauch consciously left Collier there to die. It does not matter how many times Rauch apologizes for his actions, or how well-behaved he was in prison. He took someone’s life, and now he is a free man. He can live out the rest of his life while Collier’s parents will remain in a world without their son. 

In a letter opposing Rauch’s request for parole in 2019, Lisa Collier described her son as a “good kid” who “was liked by many and missed by many.” She went on to write, “I feel two years (in prison) is not nearly enough when we have the rest of our lives to live without our child”. 

Rauch’s parole was denied in 2019. Lisa Collier’s words alone should have been enough to convince the parole board to keep Rauch behind bars for the remaining four years, not just two more years. The Oswego County District Attorney, special prosecutor Gregory Oakes, also sent a letter to the parole board urging them to keep Rauch incarcerated for the full six years and to stop his release this month. Oakes rightfully sent the letter to the parole board, making a very convincing argument in favor of keeping Rauch incarcerated. 

“By keeping him incarcerated, you can demonstrate that Seth’s life has inherent value. You can honor and recognize the suffering that his family still endures. Their loss is permanent. It is their past, their present, and their future,” Oakes wrote in a letter to the parole board that he also sent to syracuse.com. 

Historically, people have questioned whether felons who previously held a position of power are treated differently by the justice system. In June 2021, Derek Chauvin, a former police officer, , was sentenced to a maximum of 22.5 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd. Many people wonder if that is really enough time in prison when Chauvin took away Floyd’s life forever. 

Similarly, four years in prison is not nearly enough when Collier’s life is gone permanently. Like Rauch, Chauvin held a position of power. 

Part of Rauch’s job as a DA investigator was to execute search and arrest warrants and locate witnesses. He likely knew exactly how long he should wait to be found in this situation. Requirements to become a DA investigator include “thorough knowledge of the New York State Penal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Search and Seizure, and Laws and Rules of Evidence,” “working knowledge of modern investigative techniques” and “working knowledge of the techniques and procedures involved in establishing legal action in court.” With his knowledge, Rauch was likely able to manipulate the situation to the best of his ability.

The American justice system is deeply flawed if a person like Rauch, having committed two fatal felonies, can be a free man after only four years in prison. My heart goes out to Seth Collier’s loved ones and the beautiful life that he should have had a chance to live. 

Julia Kahen is a freshmen news, magazine and digital journalism and political science dual major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at jskahen@syr.edu.

Published on November 15, 2021 at 9:15 pm