PLATTSBURGH -- Convicted child killer Albert Rock has been denied parole for the 11th time in 20 years.

Rock, 63, who used to live in Schuyler Falls, met with the Parole Board last month at Wende Correctional Facility in Western New York. This time, he actually appeared, unlike the last three times, when he declined to speak to the board members in person.

"I'm pleased with the outcome," said Deborah Conners, sister of Laura Conners, who was 6 when she was abducted and raped by Rock on June 28, 1967.

He was convicted in 1972 but has either been in prison or psychiatric hospitals since his arrest the day after the murder.

DENIES CRIMES

According to the transcript of his most recent parole hearing, Rock denied killing Laura with a hatchet or sexually molesting her.

"I have no sexual offense against me at any time with this charge or anything else," he told commissioners.

"I struck the child with my truck, I panicked, took the body, and I took it to a gravel pit instead of the hospital," Rock said.

"It almost rendered me speechless," Deborah said of the transcript. "I could not believe what I was reading."

Laura's body was found curled in a shallow grave near Mother Cabrini Shrine in Peru. Rock had drawn a map for police at the time of his arrest leading them to the little girl's body.

She had been sexually molested, her jaw was broken, and bones in her arms were fractured. She was killed with a hatchet.

"That truck could not have caused what happened to her," Deborah said. "I read the autopsy report. I sat through the trial. I saw the pictures."

TRAGIC EVENTS

On a sunny day in 1967, Deborah was babysitting Laura. They had been to the beach, and Deborah headed upstairs to change.

She said she had a bad feeling that something was wrong and rushed downstairs, only to find Laura gone.