▁was ▁app reh ended ▁two ▁weeks ▁later . ▁He ▁received ▁a ▁ 2 0 - year ▁prison ▁sentence ▁but ▁was ▁par o led ▁after ▁serving ▁slightly ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁his ▁sentence . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Well s ▁Ben ner ▁van ▁Ste enberg h , ▁Jr ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Rh ine beck , ▁New ▁York ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 ; ▁the ▁family ▁later ▁moved ▁to ▁Hy de ▁Park . ▁He ▁had ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Army ▁Reserve . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁van ▁Ste enberg h ▁was ▁studying ▁engineering ▁at ▁Bridge port ▁college . ▁During ▁that ▁time ▁he ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁murder ing ▁a ▁Rh ine beck ▁woman , ▁ 3 7 - year - old ▁Mary ▁Brow ning ▁Ber es ford : ▁According ▁to ▁pro sec ution , ▁she ▁had ▁caught ▁him ▁trying ▁to ▁ste al ▁a ▁four - digit ▁sum ▁of ▁money ▁from ▁her ▁home ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁where up on ▁he ▁killed ▁her ▁and ▁set ▁fire ▁to ▁her ▁home ▁to ▁cover ▁up ▁the ▁crime . ▁The ▁first ▁trial ▁against ▁him ▁ended ▁in ▁a ▁hung ▁j ury ▁on ▁June ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 5 6 ; ▁after ▁a ▁second ▁trial ▁he ▁was ▁acqu itted ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 0 ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁ ▁Van ▁Ste enberg h ▁left ▁his ▁h omet own ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁trial ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁Seattle ,