NEW YORK (WROC) — James Moore, the longest serving inmate in New York State, was released to parole Tuesday after the brutal murder of 14-year-old Pamela Moss more than a half-century ago.

According to prosecutors, Moore pled guilty to first-degree murder in 1962 for raping and strangling the girl. Since then he had unsuccessfully negotiated parole a total of 20 times.

Prior to the crime, the man had agreed to spend the rest of his life in jail in order to avoid the death penalty. A decade later, prompting changes to state law, the Parole Board allowed him to live life outside prison.

“For years, my predecessors — District Attorney Howard Relin and District Attorney Michael Green — and I have vehemently opposed the release of James Moore,” said Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley.

Documents of Moore’s confession state that the victim’s last word was “please … ”

The Release Aging People in Prison Campaign issued the following statement Tuesday, saying:

“The purpose of parole is to evaluate a person’s readiness to return back to their community based on who they are today, not to add layers of punishment on top of a person’s sentence. While we cannot speak to the specifics of every case, the data is clear that older adults released from prison, including those previously convicted of serious crimes, have the lowest risk of recidivism. We support the independence of the Parole Board and any decision to release those who pose no threat to public safety.”

Check back with News 8 WROC as we will continue to update this developing story.