In the mid‑1980s on Long Island, New York, a young girl’s life was forever changed by a secret that weighed heavily on her heart. Cheryl Pierson, a teenager from Selden and a cheerleader at Newfield High School, seemed like an ordinary high school student on the outside. But behind closed doors, she was living a nightmare that no child should ever have to endure.
Years of Silence
Cheryl later told authorities that her father, James Pierson, began se*xually abusing her when she was just 11 years old. For years she suffered in silence, carrying the trauma alone while trying to maintain a normal life at school and with friends. Her abuse was ongoing and it left her feeling trapped, afraid, and without a safe person to turn to.
Life became even more difficult when her mother became seriously ill and later died, leaving Cheryl responsible for helping care for her younger siblings in a home where she feared for their safety.
A Sister’s Protection
As Cheryl reached her mid‑teens, her fear grew stronger—not just for herself, but for her 8‑year‑old sister. She believed that her father’s behavior was not only ongoing, but that it would one day turn toward her sister as well. Faced with unbearable fear for her sister’s future, Cheryl felt she had no path left besides doing something drastic to stop it.
A Deadly Plan
In early 1986, Cheryl confided in classmates about her situation and found someone willing to help her in the way she most desperately wanted. She and her then‑boyfriend, Robert Cuccio, gathered money—part of it paid to a classmate, Sean Pica—with the understanding that he would end her father’s life.
On February 5, 1986, Pica shot James Pierson as he walked from his home. The act was swift, and soon police began investigating the death. Within a week, Pica, Cheryl, and Robert were all arrested and charged.
A Courtroom of Broken Lives
When the case came before the court, the details of Cheryl’s home life began to emerge. She testified about the abuse she had suffered and her fear that it would continue to her sister. Because of these circumstances, prosecutors and the judge acknowledged the extreme trauma she had experienced, even as they made clear that her choice to involve murder was not legally acceptable.
Cheryl pleaded guilty to first‑degree manslaughter. The judge sentenced her to six months in jail, with much of her sentence suspended, and intensive supervision afterward. She ultimately served just over three months before release. Pica, who carried out the killing, was convicted of manslaughter and served around 16 years in prison. Robert Cuccio received probation for his role in the arrangement.
Life After the Headlines
The story did not end with prison terms and news coverage. Cheryl later married Robert Cuccio and built a family, raising two daughters together. Decades after the crime, she and her husband wrote a book about her experiences, titled Incest, Murder and a Miracle, sharing her journey with the hope of helping others who have endured abuse.
The case still resonates because it forces us to think about how victims of long‑term abuse are failed by those around them, how desperation can lead to tragic decisions, and how communities and systems can do better to protect children before they reach a breaking point.
What This Story Teaches Us
Cheryl’s story isn’t just about crime—it’s about trauma, silence, and survival. It shows how years of secret suffering can push someone to a point where they feel they have no options left. And it reminds us of the importance of listening, protecting, and believing children who ask for help.