HOUSTON – After more than two decades in prison, a convicted killer received his first chance at parole.
Dror Goldberg was convicted of murder in the year 2000 and sentenced to 48 years in prison. He became eligible for parole in August. However, the victim’s daughters are fighting to make sure their mother’s killer is not released.
In November 1998, Goldberg, then 19, walked into Wigs by Andre on Weslayan near Bissonnet and stabbed Manuela Silverio, killing her. He also attacked the store’s two owners, Roberta Ingrando and her husband, Roland.
“It’s very hard to comprehend, to live your life without your mother. She was our mother, and she was our father, and that’s all we knew. I mean, that’s all we had and we lost her,” said Silverio’s daughter, Yvonne Palmer.
Palmer and her sister, Yvette Menendez, traveled to Angleton on Wednesday to meet with parole board members.
“I want to make sure they deny his parole for as long as they can,” Menendez said.
Menendez and Palmer said their mother came to the United States from Cuba when she was 18 and brought with her a passion for being a hairdresser. They said she found a home working at Wigs by Andre.
“She worked there for 24 years and found her passion helping cancer patients who were being fitted for wigs,” said Palmer.
Goldberg not only killed Silverio, but he critically injured Roberta Ingrando by stabbing her 14 times. He also injured her husband, who came from the back after hearing his wife’s screams and grappled with Goldberg before he ran off.
“They said it was a thrill kill. He wrote about all this. It was his fantasy, his fantasy, and his hatred toward women,” said Palmer.
While no clear motive was ever established for the attack, a police officer with the Houston Independent School District testified during his trial about a notebook found in Goldberg’s backpack when he was 16 years old.
“During the testimony, an HISD police officer testified about a notebook that was discovered in his backpack on ‘How to kill women.’ That was chilling,” said Andy Kahan, Director of Victim Services for Houston Crimestoppers.
Kahan accompanied the sisters when they met with parole board members.
“The bottom line is, he took Manuela’s life and all we can do in return is ask the parole board to deprive him of his liberty,” said Kahan.
Both sisters said the parole review process is grueling for the families of victims.
“Dreading, but ready. I have to pick myself up and get ready for this battle,” said Menendez. “There’s really no words for it because you’ve got to relive what we were going through back then when he not only killed my mother but brutally murdered my mother.”
The sisters are opposed to Goldberg’s release, citing he comes from a family of means and fled the country after their mother’s murder. Goldberg was eventually captured at an airport in Germany.
“We’re concerned he may come back for revenge for my sister and me, and our family and the community,” said Palmer.
“Why are you worried he would come after you?” asked KPRC 2 Investigator Robert Arnold.
“Because of all the things that we’ve done to make sure that justice is served for our mother,” said Palmer.
On Oct. 27, Palmer and Kahan shared with KPRC 2 the parole board’s decision to deny Goldberg’s parole.
“You are registered in the confidential Integrated Victim Services System (IVSS) to receive notifications on the following offender: GOLDBERG, DROR HAIM , SID #: 06422791, TDCJ #: 00925554. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Victim Services Division (VSD) sends our sincere regrets for the criminal victimization you have experienced. It is our goal to assist you in participating in the criminal justice process. This is to notify you that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied parole for this offender on 10/27/2023 until the next review date scheduled for 10/27/2028,” reads the notice to sent to Kahan from the Board of Pardons and Parole.”
A spokesperson for the Parole Board said the reason for denial are, “the nature of the offense and the amount of time served is not congruent with the offense severity.”