Feds object to Conn. father seeing killer son

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — An 80-year-old Connecticut man who helped his son flee to Mexico after he was convicted of a killing should not be allowed to visit him in prison, federal prosecutors said.

Frederick Zachs wants to visit or write his son, Adam, who is serving a 60-year sentence at Cheshire Correctional Institute. Frederick Zachs recently served a six-month prison sentence for helping his son flee and sending him money. He was also barred from contacting him for three years.

Prosecutors said Frederick Zachs helped a convicted murderer escape justice for more than 20 years, and they called his sentence "fair and reasonable."

Adam Zachs was convicted in the 1987 shooting death of Peter Carone. He posted bond after sentencing, missed a court date in 1989 and wasn't seen by authorities until the week of his capture last year in Mexico.

Prosecutors said Frederick Zachs deprived the victim's family of knowing that their loved one's killer would be held accountable. They said Zachs received letters from his son, spoke to him on the phone and met his children.

"All the while, the victim's mother, fiancee, siblings and friends battled depression, sought to channel their frustration and anger positively and valiantly tried to move on with their lives knowing that the system had not worked," prosecutors wrote in court papers Monday.

Prosecutors said it was important to deter other parents who might be tempted to do the same thing.

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