PA Supreme Court nixes latest appeal by convicted murderer

In a one sentence order filed Monday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied the latest appeal by convicted murderer Mark M. Ring, who admitted to the July 4, 2006, fatal shooting of his neighbor in Plains Township.

Ring, 67, requested the Supreme Court to review his appeal that was denied by the Pennsylvania Superior Court in December 2023, when he claimed Luzerne County prosecutors acted in bad faith by submitting negative recommendations to the Pennsylvania Parole Board.

Plains Township police in court records say Ring fatally shot Joseph Tarreto during a dispute on West Charles Street.

Ring and Tarreto had a long-standing dispute and were arguing before Ring used a .38-caliber handgun to shoot Tarreto three times in the chest, court records say.

Ring pleaded guilty to third-degree murder as prosecuted recommended a sentence of 12-to-24 years in state prison, which then judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. accepted and imposed.

In his appeal, Ring alleged prosecutors breached the plea agreement by making negative parole recommendations in 2018, 2019 and 2021, which had an impact with the state parole board when he reached the minimum sentence of 12 years.

Ring claimed prosecutors committed “intentional misrepresentation” when he agreed to the plea agreement by not revealing that prosecutors, at a later time, would recommend against his parole.

The Superior Court denied Ring’s appeal citing Luzerne County Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky’s opinion filed in December 2022.

“The plea agreement here is silent regarding the (prosecutor’s) ability to file negative recommendations with the Parole Board, a fact that Ring concedes. Nor does the agreement indicate that Ring would be guaranteed parole…” Sklarosky opined, which was adopted and used by the Superior Court in denying Ring’s appeal in December 2023.

After the Superior Court denied Ring’s appeal, he requested the Supreme Court to review his case, which was denied in a one sentence order by the state’s highest appellate court.

Ring is currently housed at the State Correctional Institution at Phoenix near Philadelphia.