Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog

Seventeen years ago, an unspeakable tragedy happened. It began with the disappearance of a 10-year-old-girl named Holly Piranien. It ended with news of a Sturbridge kidnapping and, apparently, a Brimfield murder. Holly had gone out to play with kittens while her family was on vacation. Her skeletal remains were found months later approximately 5 miles away from where she disappeared.

The Grafton family waited with hope as the criminal investigation began. First step was to find Holly. After they found what remained of the young girl, the search continued so as to find her killer.

The case was never solved.

Family, friends and law enforcement have not forgotten Holly, however. In fact, a billboard along Interstate 93 in Medford stands, asking for any clues that might be available at this late date.

"Justice needs to be served so this criminal does not strike again," Carla Piranien Bourassa, Holly's aunt said in a statement.

Continue reading "MA State Police Still Investigate The Kidnapping And Murder Of Grafton’s Holly Piranien" »

How many times have I said it? “All it takes is one very bad day...or bad moment...or bad decision. Mattapan’s Edwin Depeize, a 63-year-old bus driver ( hereinafter, the “Defendant”) had one such moment yesterday morning.

According to reports, the Defendant, a school bus driver, was stopped by law enforcement so that he could be given a Dorchester traffic citation. Apparently, said citation incensed the Defendant. Perhaps he thought such a ticket was beneath him. This theory would make sense because he immediately did everything possible to up the ante.

Rather successfully, I might add.

First, the Defendant allegedly refused to hand over his license and registration. Next, he argued with the police officer who finally ended the “conversation” by telling the Defendant to drive along his merry way. The Defendant did not feel all that “merry”, and so he sped away instead.

Or tried to.

Continue reading "Mattapan School Bus Driver Turns Traffic Citation Into Motor Vehicle Crimes" »

It would appear that “kids’ media” is growing up. And the ball they are up at bat to strike is bullying. Massachusetts bullying, New York bullying and Everywhere, U.S.A. bullying.

The cable channel, Nickelodeon, is the most-watched television network among kids ages 2 to 14. Half of young people ages 14-24 said they had been the victim of cyberbullying, according to a survey conducted in late 2009 for The Associated Press and MTV.

The advice offered in one ad featuring Ashley Argota of "True Jackson, VP" and Gage Golightly of "The Troop": Sign off the computer; don't reply to a hostile messenger; block bullies from access; make a copy of the message to show to an adult you trust.

Apparently, the program also stresses the message that "It's not tattle-telling…It's standing up for yourself."

The hope is that the anti-bullying effort can become as pervasive and successful as campaigns calling for a designated driver who has not consumed alcohol when friends are out drinking, said James Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media, about their national drunk driving campaign.

The program will begin an on-air public service campaign Monday featuring some of its stars offering advice on what young people should do when confronted with hostile texts, emails or Facebook posts. Miranda Cosgrove and Nathan Kress of Nick's "ICarly" are also participating in the campaign, which will last for two years, said Marva Smalls, Nick's executive vice president for public affairs.

Continue reading "The Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog Reviews Nickelodeon’s Anti-Bullying Efforts" »

As Boston’s White Collar Crime Convicted Ex City Councilman Chuck Turner goes off anything-but- quietly into the federal sunset for three years, the state government’s sites now turn south.

Now, Gina Clark, the controversial founder of the defunct Cape Cod charity Touched by Angels is in the prosecutorial sites. A Barnstable County grand jury has indicted Ms. Clark (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) . She is charged with good old Massachusetts larceny, fraud, and associated charges, according to the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth alleges that the Defendant stole tens of thousands of dollars from the charity, which was organized to provide financial help to families who had lost loved ones or who were dealing with medical problems.

“These families were targeted by this defendant and sought her help after going through truly traumatic circumstances, either losing a family member or dealing with serious medical conditions,” Attorney General Martha Coakley said in a statement. "By promising these victims financial support and then keeping the money for herself, we allege that this defendant stole tens of thousands of dollars from families in need.”

Continue reading "Cape Cod Charity “Angel” Is Indicted For Massachusetts Theft And Other White Collar Crimes" »

Poor Louise Nelson! The 49-year-old Woburn woman (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) must have missed my approximately 450 blogs warning people about involuntary indoctrination into the “Hey, I Bet I Can Make This Situation Worse!” club.

You see, the Defendant apparently had a suspended Massachusetts driver’s license. One usually does not need to be a Boston Traffic Attorney to realize that it is a bad idea to be driving under such circumstances.

However, the Defendant was indeed driving according to law enforcement. They say that, at approximately 10 a.m. this morning, Woburn police contacted the state police after noticing that not only was the Defendant driving, but that her vehicle did not have any license plates. This too, as you may know, is a motor vehicle legal no-no. After the local police tried unsuccessfully to stop her, the Defendant had allegedly refused to stop and, instead, drove onto Route 128. There, state police tried to get her to pull over.

They, too, were apparently unsuccessful.

Continue reading "Woburn Woman With Suspended License Leads Massachusetts Police On Chase…And Loses" »

These days, it seems that crimes are prosecuted based upon two things. The first, of course, is the criminal activity itself. Sometimes, however, the motivation behind the crime is an Aggravating factor that is almost a crime unto itself. Take, for example, the tale of Michael Jacques (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) The Defendant is being prosecuted for a Springfield Arson.

However, as the prosecutor announced at the beginning of the trial, “We are here today because of racism”. Indeed, the Defendant is not simply being prosecuted for arson, but also for the crime being a Massachusetts hate crime.

The trial, which has begun in federal court in Springfield, began this week. The Defendant, a known racist according to the prosecution, is accused of showing his disdain for the African-American community by torching a predominantly black church to protest the election of Barack Obama in November 2008 as the country’s first black president.

According to the prosecution, the Defendant confessed that he and two other men “burned the church because it was a black church.’’

Continue reading "Springfield Arson And Related Hate Crime Conspiracy Is Brought To Trial In Federal Court" »

Sometimes, the themes portrayed in graphic novels (the new name for comic books which sounds so much more impressive) very closely resemble those we see in daily life. Take, for example, the saga of the “Amazing Spider-man”. For those of you ignorant of his story, he was created years ago by Marvel Comics as the first “anti-hero”. While he donned a colorful costume and fought crime with his unique...talents..., he was considered a vigilante and criminal by many people. He was, and is, the misunderstood hero. As I tell most people that my clients are not guilty, merely misunderstood, I suppose I identify with Spidey.

We learn today that another misunderstood entity which is often ridiculed, insulted and feared is the “Brutal Winter Snowstorm”. According to the experts, while we were all complaining about its activities, it was actually fighting Massachusetts crime. In fact, according to law enforcement and other specialists, it did better than merely fight crime... it prevented crime.

Apparently, the total number of major crimes, such as Massachusetts murder, rape, and assault, fell 22 percent this year through March 13, compared with the same period last year. While Boston shootings (nonfatal) are down slightly, the need for burglary attorneys and other Massachusetts theft-related criminal attorneys, have dropped significantly.

“I think these statistics have something to do with the bad weather,’’ said Jack Levin, professor of sociology and criminology at Northeastern University. “To commit a stranger rape, or robbery or even burglary or vehicle theft, all are going to require, for the most part, going outside. Even criminals get cold.’’

Continue reading "Massachusetts Violent Crimes Are Down…Who Is Responsible?" »

On Friday, we began talking about the testimony of New Hampshire murder suspect Christopher Gribble (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) on direct examination. I told you that I would discuss his cross examination today. As I also told you, I am not expert on New Hampshire law. I must say, however, that this Boston murder defense attorney would not be too optimistic about this particular client going home this side of life.

As you will recall, or check Friday’s blog (ok, it got posted Saturday), the Defendant has admitted to killing a Mount Vernon woman and trying to kill her young daughter. However, his defense is that he was legally insane at the time and so cannot be held responsible.

It is not unusual for proverbial sparks to fly during cross-examination. In fact, it is usually what the cross-examiner is hoping for. The dirty little truth, and something about which I have reminded you from time to time, is that perception is what generally effects the jury most...not simply the evidence itself. Therefore, if the cross-examiner can get the witness angry and seemingly annoying or unfair, then it is good for the cross-examiner. Often, this is more important than the words actually spoken by the witness.

Of course, in this case, I don’t see either as being too helpful for the Defendant.

Continue reading "The Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog Discusses Cross-Examination, Insanity And New England Murder" »

It is too bad that there are no awards shows for the criminal justice system. A couple of years ago, The Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog began presenting virtual memberships to the “Hey, I Bet I Can Make This Situation Worse!” club. Maybe we should revisit it. In the meantime, however, some kind of award should go out to the Nashua murder defendant, Christopher Gribble (hereinafter, the “Defendant”. As you may know he is on trial for a gruesome murder and associated crimes in New Hampshire.

If such award ceremonies were held, this year’s award for the most stunningly grotesque would go to the Defendant for his testimony at trial, second only to the scene of the crime itself.

It should be noted that the Defendant has admitted that he and his buddy Steven Spader (hereinafter, “Co-Defendant Buddy”) killed 42-year-old Kimberly Cates and tried to kill her young daughter. However, he has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

While he was on the stand, the Defendant, during direct examination described in detail the details of the crimes he committed after he broke into the home and found his way to the bedroom where mother and daughter slept.

Continue reading "The Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog Discusses A Gruesome New Hampshire Murder , Insanity And Direct Examination" »

Hello. How is your Saint Patrick’s/Evacuation Day going? Various Massachusetts policepeople are particularly on guard today against people who might stereotypically drink alittle too much. Folks do strange things when they are drunk, and this blog has discussed many such incidents. One incident today, however, leaves many wondering if the gentleman responsible was drunk, disturbed or something in between.

A yet-to-be-determined suspect, believed to be a man, we’ll call him “Newton Gunman", had best meet with a Massachusetts Criminal Lawyer since he fired his gun in Newton in a very unsafe manner. The police say he is “armed and dangerous” after he fired multiple shots into the back door of a closed jewelry store today, according to law enforcement.

Newton Gunman is described as male, wearing a dark, collared jacket, and a hooded sweatshirt with jeans. According to the reports, Newton Gunman fired at least eight shots with his Newton handgun, silver in color, into a glass door at Cristofori Jewelers on Watertown Street just before 4:30 p.m.

While there were three employees inside, nobody was hurt..

Attorney Sam’s Take On Massachusetts Assault And Gun Crimes

Over the years, I have come upon various kinds of clients. Some say they don’t know what the Commonwealth is talking about when they bring nasty criminal allegations. Some have stories that make me think, “there but for the grace of G-d go I”. Others leaving me scratching my head and tilting it at various uncomfortable angles trying to find the one through which their little adventure seemed like a good idea at the time.

Continue reading "Newton Man Fires Gun Into Store And Needs Massachusetts Criminal Attorney -Fast" »

You might think that the new charges being brought against the man who calls himself “Clark Rockefeller” is likely to be called “The State of California vs. Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter”. It is likely, however, to have the subtitle of “Clark Rockefeller vs. Christia Karl Gerhartsreiter”...particularly if he has any thought of testifying on his own behalf or putting up any character witnesses.

First of all, let’s make all our lives easier and hereafter refer to him as the “Defendant”).

In case you have not heard, the Defendant, now resting semi-comfortably in Commonwealth involuntary housing, has now been charged with a new allegation. This time, it is the crime of a murder which apparently happened over 20 years ago. The authorities in California have filed a complaint in a Los Angeles County courthouse seeking the return of the Defendant to answer for said murder. The process for doing so is called “ extradition”. The issue in this process it whether the person seized is the right person the outside state, in this case California, is seeking. If and when that is established, then California will have a certain amount of time to come and get him...assuming Massachusetts lets him out of their custody to go to California. Since the states have interstate agreements that allow for the transfer of convicts between states so they can be prosecuted on other charges, and said charges involve murder, there is virtually no liklihood that Massahusetts will refuse to give him over.

Continue reading "Massachusetts Convict, “Clark Rockefeller”, Adds The Charge Of Murder To His Prior Accomplishments Of Kidnapping And Assault" »

Yesterday, Wayne Leduc, 40, of Milton (hereinafter, “Trooper Crasher”) pleaded not guilty to charges of drunk driving and operating to endanger and went home after posting bail. One would hope that he was not his own transportation home, Either way, he had better be careful out there.

Simply put, it seems to be getting more and more dangerous to commute in any way here in the Commonwealth!

Trooper Crasher’s charges resulted from a little problem he is said to have had on Interstate 93 in Quincy. It happened on Sunday morning. According to the Commonwealth, he was involved in accident which injured a state trooper. Oh, yes...and they say he was under the influence of alcohol as well.

Apparently, the 43-year-old trooper had pulled over another vehicle at the spot in Quincy. He was standing in front of his cruiser when Trooper Crasher smashed into the rear of the cruiser, propelling it into the trooper, according to the state police.

The trooper suffered leg injuries and was taken to Boston Medical Center for treatment. Other troopers who responded to the scene arrested Trooper Crasher.

One might think that this type of thing does not happen very often. One would unfortunately be incorrect. For example, last Wednesday, another trooper was seriously injured on Route 30 in Framingham when his cruiser was struck head-on by a car that crossed the median. Further, in the past year, we have had several cases wherein troopers were stuck, sometimes killed, when vehicles struck them on various roads.

Continue reading "Criminal Defendants From Medford To Milton Learn Lessons About OUI, Assault And Dangerous Weapons" »

We have discussed the matter of witness intimidation many times on this blog. This blog’s main purpose is to peel back the curtain of mystery on our criminal justice system and how it impacts you. For example, I have often pointed out how broad a law may be applied in court. Intimidation of a Witness is one such law.

Of course, you are unlikely to feel that Dorchester resident Trevor A. Watson, 44 (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) is a victim of confusion. He was sentenced last week to 30 years in prison for such a crime. Actually, he took it a bit further than what we usually see, apparently. He was convicted of trying to actually murder a federal informant.

I would expect that we all understand that doing something like that is illegal...on a number of fronts.

The case stems back a few years. The year 2000 in fact. Apparently, a cocaine trafficking investigation was ongoing against the Defendant by federal agents. Apparently unwilling to keep his defense to within the allowable guidelines, he went after one of the informants. “Went after” in this case means “stabbing around 10 times, causing damage to various organs”. According to the government, perhaps in an effort to eliminate any doubt, the Defendant made comments during the stabbing, such as, “You talking, huh? You telling?’’

And so it was that the Defendant and an associate were awarded criminal charges other than drug trafficking...namely attempted murder.

Continue reading "Dorchester Gentleman Is Sentenced To 30 Years In Federal Prison For Intimidating Witnesses In Drug And Attempted Murder Matters" »

Foxboro is apparently tired of public drunkenness.

And, as we all know, when we decide we are against something...we push to make it illegal. Even if it already is basically illegal!!

Folks in Foxboro are now pushing to outlaw public drunkenness. The move is supported by many, including the parents of a young woman who was killed in 2008 after tailgating at Gillette Stadium.

“What’s it going to take, a couple more fatalities?” Steve Davis of Milton said as he and his wife baked a cake for what would have been their daughter’s 23rd birthday today.

On Monday, at a Town meeting, voters approved an article to impose a $200 fine for public drunkenness. This makes Foxboro the only Bay State municipality other than Dedham to pass such a bylaw, according to the state Attorney General’s Office, which must approve the measure.

Continue reading "Foxboro Seeks New Bill To Prosecute Drunken And Disorderly Conduct" »

Chelsea Massachusetts was the scene of a violent bloody altercation on Friday.

Oscar Guttierez-Nunes, a 27-year-old Chelsea man (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) has been arrested and charged in said altercation. By the end of the altercation, one man was apparently dead and two others were wounded. One of those injured remains in critical condition at Massachusetts General Hospital. The police learned later about the third complainant who had admitted himself into MGH with non-life-threatening injuries

In case anybody wondered, the Defendant was also wounded. According to police, he admitted himself into the hospital under a false name.

The Defendant is currently being held without bail and stands charged with murder and two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and is due back in court on April 7th.

Right now, this is being described as an “attack”. We do not know what that means. Was the Defendant in an a fight with three other guys and somehow got the better part of the deal? Did he even get the “better part”? We know that he was injured as well and one of the others has “:non-life-threatening” injuries. Was he simply a lunatic who attacked a group of men with a knife?

Continue reading "Chelsea Man Is Found In Hospital And Arrested For Murder And Assault With Intent To Murder– Attorney Sam’s Take" »

Today’s blog is a reminder. It is a reminder to those of us, in and out of the trenches of criminal justice about reality. We often proclaim that facing a criminal allegation, so long as the accused does not end up spending too many years in jail,is “no harm, no foul”. We figure that simply being accused is no big deal.

That is, until it happens to us.

Let’s look at the case of former Children’s Hospital Boston pediatrician Dr. Melvin D. Levine.

Dr. Levine was a former chief of ambulatory pediatrics at the hospital.

Dr. Levine was a Rhodes scholar and a best-selling author who had appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show’’.

Dr. Levine was then accused of molesting “thousands of his pediatric patients”. Never criminally charged...simply accused in a civil law suit.

Dr. Levine was shortly thereafter found dead in the woods near his home in North Carolina. According to authorities, he had shot himself in the forehead with a 12-gauge shotgun.

Before you take the suicide as some kind of admission of guilt, be aware that he not only left behind a suicide note, but also a journal that he had kept. To the end, Dr. Levine insisted that he was innocent.

Continue reading "A Boston Doctor, Accused Of Sex Crimes Against Children, Takes His Own Life– Attorney Sam’s Take" »

Wiilliam J. Halpin III, a 25-year-old Melrose man (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) is likely not looking toward this week with glee. According to the Commonwealth, he was a bit too gleeful Friday night. Self-induced narcotic-type of gleeful. In other words, he is accused of driving his SUV under the influence of drugs. But it does not end there.

He got into an accident which killed one man and wounded a six-year-old boy.

Today, he is due in court to face the resulting charges. The state police arrested and held him at the scene of the accident. The accident took place on Route 1 in Lynnfield. It is also alleged that the Defendant struck one, not two, vehicles.

According to the Commonwealth, the Defendant drove his SUV into a taxi cab and a second vehicle, both of which were in the breakdown lane near the Fat Cactus restaurant. Ironically, the accident occurred while those two drivers were in the midst of exchanging papers after a different, more minor, crash.

Victor Vargas, a 42-year-old taxi driver from Lynn and father of two, was later pronounced dead at North Shore Medical Center Union Hospital in Lynn.

Continue reading "Melrose Driver In Lynnfield Accident Is Arrested For OUI, Drug Possession And Motor Vehicle Homicide – Attorney Sam’s Take" »

It’s stories like this that helps me love what I do for a living; you just never know what is going to happen next! Just when we see debacles like the one surrounding the Parole Board because of a recent police killing, and we see the predictable scurrying about by prosecutorial politicians to make sure that they cannot be splattered with blame, the Supreme Judicial Court takes the opposite tact. They look to uphold people’s rights...despite the likely public outcry.

Specifically, the court dealt with the case of Malcolm S. Maker, a 52-year-old convicted sex offender (hereinafter, the “Appellant” ). The Appellant had been convicted for failing to register his address with the Boston police department within two days of his release from jail, as required by the state Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB).

That is, until now.

The SJC now says that said rule is beyond SORB’s authority.

Apparently, the Appellant is not the most sympathetic of individuals. He has been designated a Level 3 sex offender, which is the type said to be most likely to reoffend. His history of convictions include various allegations of open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior.

Then, in 2009, he was charged with failing to notify the police after he was released from jail that he would be living in a Boston homeless shelter. He was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail.

Then came the appeal.

Continue reading "Appeal To SJC Successful As Court Overturns Failure To Register Conviction For Boston Serial Sex Offender – Attorney Sam’s Take" »

This week has not been a good one as far as the reputation of “higher learning” is concerned...and, for once, it had nothing to do with either drugs or bullying!

First of all, there is the case of Falmouth’s own Luk Van Parijs (hereinafter, “Penalized Prof.”, who has just pleaded guilty in Boston’s federal court to white collar crimes.

Penalized Prof. Is a 40-year-old former associate professor of biology from MIT. He was fired in 2005 for falsifying data in scientific papers. The papers concerned experimentation about generating a transgenic mouse in his lab. The charge was making a false statement in a federal research grant application, the US Attorney's Office said. He is due to be sentenced in June. He faces the potential of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

In 2009, Penalized Prof.’s career began to unravel when the federal Office of Research Integrity found that he had engaged in scientific misconduct by submitting the false data in numerous grant applications. He was also found to have falsified data in numerous scientific publications and presentations and one book chapter.

MIT’s embarrassment was shared today by a local law school today as well. Well, at least a student is embarrassed. And that’s the least of his problems now.

John Ethan Cassidy, a 26-year-old University of Massachusetts School of Law student (hereinafter, “Legal Gunner”) was arraigned today on a variety of firearms charges for allegedly possessing an AK-47 assault rifle and a 9mm pistol, Dartmouth police said. He was arrested yesterday evening as he left the school.

Legal Gunner had moved to the area in August 2010, police said in a statement. He was originally from Spring, Texas. Unfortunately, he was apparently also wanted on a warrant from that state. Law enforcement says he will also face charges at a later date of assaulting his roommate. The guns were apparently uncovered, along with large-capacity magazines and several hundred rounds of ammunition in his apartment.

Continue reading "Massachusetts College Professor And Law Student Face Criminal Charges Ranging From Assault, Guns And White Collar Crime – Attorney Sam’s Take" »

We seem to be living in the time of the realistic hero. Last year, “Kick-Ass”, a movie about a young man who decided to become a superhero was very popular. More recently, “The Green Hornet” was revisited, now as a semi-comedy, with a more realistic feel as the Green Hornet and Kato are now average guys just trying to “help out”. And this week, we have Bosolakhana Thach of Lynn, hereinafter, “Rod Woman”.

Rod Woman was working at her convenience store on Monday afternoon, when the proverbial “bad guy”, a man wearing a hood, dark sunglasses and a knife came in. The man, hereinafter, “the Robber”) was a calm sort. He leaned over the counter and quietly warned Rod Woman to stay away from any alarms and to give him the money from the register.

What the Robber may not have known was that Rod Woman was, in reality, “Robbery Victim X Two Woman”. She was determined not to allow a third.

As is apparently recorded on the surveillance video (woops!), the Robber, after making his demands, turned his head away from Rod Woman. It was then that Rod woman grabbed a 4-foot, 15-pound iron rod from behind the counter and brought it crashing down on his wrist.

The knife was knocked from the Robber’s hand.

Continue reading "Lynn Woman Strikes Perpetrator With Rod And Prevents Robbery – Attorney Sam’s Take" »

This week is a big one for Danvers’s own Nathaniel Hudon, the 31 year-old- man who is now referred to as “the Defendant”. He began the week in custody and remains there awaiting a “Dangerousness Hearing” scheduled for tomorrow. Reports have it that he was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol and may have believed he was going to heaven to meet God, when he abducted his ex-girlfriend early Saturday. He is then said to have led police on a 20-mile chase on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

It is unknown as to whether the chase was due to his rush for the Devine appointment.

In any event, the Defendant has been held without bail and is facing several charges, including kidnapping and assault and battery.

The alleged victim in these charges is Pamela Bello, 42, also of Danvers. She is said to be the Defendant’s ex-girlfriend, and so is hereafter referred to as “the Ex”.

The Ex told police that the Defendant had been drinking and using cocaine for two days, when he called her outside of her residence around 4:45a.m. When the Defendant asked her to accompany him in his truck she says she refused, but he forced her into the vehicle anyway, where all the inside door handles were broken off. He then took off, with her in the vehicle and drugs and alcohol allegedly dancing through his system.

The Ex says she tried to call 911, but the Defendant threw her phone out of the window and continued driving. He is said to have then replaced the cell phone with a white metal crucifix in her hand, telling her to hold onto it.

Continue reading "Danvers Man Faces Dangerousness Hearing For Drug, OUI, Assault And Kidnapping Charges In Domestic Violence Case – Attorney Sam’s Take" »

Last week, we discussed the story of a Dorchester woman who had allegedly been involved in a matter of deadly domestic violence. According to the Commonwealth, the result was murder and 28-year-old Dorchester woman Cherry Clinton (hereinafter, the “Defendant” was charged with stabbing her former boyfriend to death with a knife.

Usually, such cases do not have many witnesses. They happen at home. In private.

It turns out that such was not completely the case this time. In fact, one witness did all he could not to be a witness.

“My daughter came into the room and said, ‘Daddy, they’re fighting again,’ so I turned on the music to drown out the noise,” Robert Ennis said of the “banging” he heard coming from[the Defendant’s] apartment at the housing development. “I didn’t want to hear it.”

At about 10 a.m. Friday, another neighbor, Guerlande Merisier, also said she heard arguing and “banging, like falling on the floor.” Minutes later, she said, she saw the Defendant outside, crying, telling first responders, “Come in right away, my baby’s unconscious.”

Ennis said he never called police because after he testified a few years ago against a man accused of gunning down a youngster outside his building, a brick was thrown through his window.

“The streets aren’t forgiving,” the 50-year-old father of three said. “When you weigh it all out, I got to take care of my family.”

The killing marks at least the fifth domestic violence homicide this year, said Toni Troop, a spokeswoman for the victim’s advocacy program Jane Doe, Inc.

Might I note that we are just finishing month number two?

Continue reading "Dorchester Man Is Murdered While Neighbor Buries The Sounds Of Domestic Violence Out With Music – Attorney Sam’s Take" »