A man in New Jersey has been sentenced to life in prison for the second time after being convicted in a retrial for the murder of a woman found dead in her burning home almost 12 years ago. Daniel Rochat, 49 years old, was given the life sentence by a Bergen County judge for the September 2012 death of 70-year-old Barbara Vernieri. Vernieri, a real estate agent from East Rutherford, was beaten, set on fire and left to die in her home, according to authorities.
Rochat’s initial conviction was overturned in 2022 by an appellate court due to unreliable DNA evidence linking him to the crime. After a retrial this year, Rochat was found guilty in April of murder, arson, felony murder, desecration, hindering, and false swearing. The judge, Christopher Kazlau, sentenced Rochat to life in prison, which in the state of New Jersey is presumed to be 75 years, with a requirement that 85% of the sentence must be served before parole eligibility.
During the sentencing, Kazlau described the murder as “brutal and senseless” and criticized Rochat for showing no remorse, highlighting his demeanor during police interviews as “striking.” Despite proclaiming his innocence in court, Rochat was sentenced to 10 years for arson and desecration convictions, along with shorter terms for the other charges.
Rochat’s mother, Janet, defended her son in court by describing his warm relationship with Vernieri and suggesting law enforcement misinterpreted his visit to her home prior to the murder. Prosecutors alleged that Rochat’s motive was to rob Vernieri to settle a debt with an ex-girlfriend following the end of their relationship. One of Rochat’s attorneys argued that his client had “lost out on the best years of his life” after spending a dozen years behind bars and unsuccessfully sought a new trial.
