“Staci struggled hard in trying to live. She didn’t give up without a fight, gasping for every breath. Her last moments of life must have seemed like an eternity. But this little 60-pound girl was just no match for that 180-pound man.”

On September 11, 1986, just one night after the Ackerman family, in an act of friendship, allowed Gregory Flint to stay the night in their Farmington, New York, home, the unthinkable happened. Flint, a 25-year-old contractor from Pittsford, New York, returned to the Ackerman’s in the middle of the night, uninvited, and repaid their friendship with one of the most heinous acts in the history of Ontario County. Upon entry, Flint went directly to the bedroom of 8-year-old Staci Ackerman, the Ackerman’s youngest daughter, where he brutally strangled, raped, and sodomized Staci as she fought helplessly to save her own life, unable to cry out to her parents who were sleeping just down the hall. That morning, as Staci’s body lay cold and lifeless under the sheets of her bed, she was found by her mother, Sue Ann Cross, who had come to wake her daughter up for school.

Seven days later, Flint would go on to give a graphic and repulsive confession to law enforcement, which included “As I looked into Staci’s room, I saw Staci’s leg was out from under her covers… I sat on the bed next to Staci and I put my hand on the calf of her leg…I thought she was going to scream so I took her pillow from her bed and held it over her face…I got really excited when Staci was struggling with me…" Despite his confession and arrest, Flint never admitted his guilt in Court and the case went to trial on January 26, 1987, at the Ontario County Courthouse.

On January 29, 1987, an Ontario County jury found Gregory Flint guilty of two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree, and two counts each of Rape and Sodomy in the First Degree.

During his closing argument, District Attorney James Harvey said “[Flint] had one thing in mind when he went to that house. One has only to look at the autopsy results to see what poor Staci suffered in the last moments of her life. There’s no question that this little girl was ripped apart by this savage act.”

On March 3, 1987, Judge George A. Reed sentenced Flint to the maximum term of 37 1/2 years to life in state prison.

Despite the gravity of his crimes and the life sentence imposed, Flint is eligible for release November 14, 2025, with his first parole hearing in July of 2025.

"No words can describe how I feel. He sentenced Staci to life and all he got was 37 1/2 years."- Sue Ann Cross

As the District Attorney of Ontario County, I hold a deep responsibility to seek justice for the victims of heinous crimes and their families. The brutal murder and rape of 8-year-old Staci Ackerman was an unspeakable act of violence that shattered our community, leaving an impact on all who knew Staci or have heard her story. 

Releasing Flint poses a significant threat to the safety and well-being of Ontario County residents. Allowing him to walk free would not only jeopardize our community but also negate the justice sought for Staci and her grieving family. For almost four decades, the Ackerman family has been haunted by the nightmare of Gregory Flint, a man who entered their home uninvited and under the cover of darkness, to rape and murder their beloved child. To release him now, would be to commit a whole new act of terror against this family. We cannot allow the memory of Staci Ackerman to be disrespected or her family's pain to be dismissed by Flint's release.

To ensure the safety of our community and to uphold justice for Staci, it is imperative that we make our voices heard and prevent Flint's release. By denying parole, we can safeguard our neighborhoods from potential harm and honor the life of a young girl whose future was stolen.

Please sign this petition to keep Gregory Flint incarcerated, where he belongs, so we can continue to honor the memory of Staci Ackerman. 

You can show additional support by completing an online letter of opposition (Gregory Flint, DIN 87C0347): click here for DOCCS online submission