Homicide Watch Boston

The sister of a Charlestown man accused of gunning down a 21-year-old man who was trying to stop a fight last May may be called as a witness against her brother, court documents show.

Pablo Flores Jr., 20, was charged in September with killing 21-year-old Steven Jones when Jones and a friend tried to intervene in a fight between Flores and another man, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office said.

His sister, Jelaine Flores, 18, was arrested in May for witness intimidation after allegedly threatening two potential witnesses. Prosecutors say she called one witness a “snitch” in a threat on Facebook, and threatened the other over the phone. She pleaded innocent to the charges at her May 22 arraignment, Conley’s office said.

A request filed by Pablo Flores’s defense shows that the prosecution might use Jelaine Flores’s Facebook post as evidence against her brother.

At a Dec. 23 pretrial conference, Pablo Flores’s attorney, Jeffery Karp, was granted a series of requests for information from the prosecution, ranging from details of the scientific testing of evidence, to autopsy reports, court records show.

Several of the requests involved the credibility of the prosecution’s witnesses. Karp was granted a request to see to criminal background information on 11 potential witnesses, including Jelaine Flores, and a description of all deals offered to any witnesses, according motions filed by the defense.

In addition, the defense was granted information on specific acts of violence perpetrated by Jones and a 28-year-old potential witness.

According to the state’s official complaint against Flores, Jones, who was also from Charlestown, was walking with a friend on Monument Street in Charlestown on the night of May 7 when they encountered the fight.

When Jones and his friend tried to break up the fight, Flores allegedly pushed them off and fired multiple shots at close range, striking Jones in the chest and stomach, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, Flores was a longtime resident of 92 Monument St., and was known by many people in the area who told investigators they saw him engaged in the initial fight.

Flores pleaded innocent Sept. 5 to murder, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and multiple firearms charges. 

Released by the Suffolk County district attorney’s office on Sept. 5, 2013:

BOSTON, Sept. 5, 2013—Steven Jones was shot dead at the age of 21 after he stepped in to stop a fistfight, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office said today.

Jones’ alleged killer, PABLO FLORES, Jr. (D.O.B. 2/17/93), of Charlestown, was arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court on charges of second-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and multiple counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.

Granting a request by Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Lundgren, Clerk Magistrate Gary D. Wilson ordered Flores held without bail.

Lundgren said that Jones, who was also a Charlestown resident, was walking with a friend on Monument Avenue just after 10:00 p.m. on May 7 when he saw Flores fighting with another man.

“The man the defendant was fighting was not only unarmed, but shorter and smaller than the defendant,” Lundgren said.

Jones and his friend stepped in to break the fight up. Neither of them was armed.

“While Mr. Jones and his friend tried to pull apart the defendant and the man he was fighting, the defendant pushed everyone off of him, stepped back, pulled a gun from his waist area, and fired multiple shots at close range,” Lundgren said.

Jones was struck in the chest and stomach, causing injuries that claimed his life. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Flores allegedly pointed the gun at Jones’ friend and a female bystander before fleeing on foot. Based on witness statements and additional evidence developed by Boston Police homicide detectives, Jones was identified as a suspect the next day and has been sought on a warrant charging him with murder.

“Steven Jones was the kind of young man everyone wants as a neighbor,” Conley said. “He was kind. He was concerned. He was a good friend. Dozens of people appeared in court today in a show of support for his memory. That says a lot about the number of people he touched in life.”

In the days that followed, Flores’ sister, JELAINE FLORES (D.O.B. 4/26/95) of Charlestown, allegedly contacted two potential witnesses to the crime, threatening both with bodily harm. She allegedly threatened one during a phone call and the other in a Facebook message, allegedly calling that victim a “snitch.”

Both incidents were intended to derail the investigation into Jones’ homicide, prosecutors said, and both were reported to Boston Police, who arrested her on two counts of witness intimidation and one count of making annoying or harassing phone calls. She was held on $3500 cash bail.

Boston Police apprehended Pablo Flores yesterday at a Dorchester residence. When they entered, he allegedly ran down a back stairwell and hid in the basement. When located, he allegedly gave his name as “Andre Durant.” Police recognized him and placed him under arrest.

Jillian Quigley is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Flores is represented by attorney Jeffrey Karp. He is due back in court on Oct. 8.

A copy of Flores’ indictment has been added below.

Anthony Robertson, accused in a 2011 murder, came face-to-face Tuesday with the first pool of potential jurors in his trial, some of whom will soon cast a vote on his fate.

The 22-year-old Dorchester native is accused of fatally shooting 25-year-old Aaron Wornum in June of 2011, according to the Suffolk County district attorney’s office. He is charged with first-degree murder.

Six jurors were selected at the end of the first day.

As Judge Patrick Brady questioned potential jurors in Courtroom 817 at Suffolk Superior Court, Robertson, dressed in khaki pants and a white button-down shirt, turned to look at friends several times, signaling and even laughing with them.

Robertson and his attorney, James Greenberg, whispered to each other as they made decisions on jurors.

Several potential jurors were dismissed, including some with relatives in law enforcement, others with scheduling conflicts due to children or work, a police officer and a number of individuals who did not speak English well.

Prosecutors believe Robertson and Wornum knew each other, Conley’s office said in a statement.

In 2008, Wornum spoke of trying to break the cycle of violence. In a powerful YouTube video for Teen Empowerment, a national center aimed at combating violence in troubled neighborhoods. Wornum advised youths on choices.

“You know that if you wake up today and take another man’s life, the two most likely repercussions will be incarceration or revenge from a family member,” he said to a cheering crowd. “You know that if you were to wake up today and attend school … the two most likely repercussions are a well-paying occupation and success.”

Failure or success, Wornum said, were the results of making the right or wrong choices, especially in a troubled neighborhood like Dorchester.

“Unfortunately it took the death of some of my closest allies in order for me to come to this realization … I still care about the people I came up with, I don’t want to give up on them. But now instead of connecting with them on narcotics sales or violent retaliations, I’m trying to be a bridge to connect them to opportunities to change their directions of their life.”

Wornum died June 2011 at Boston Medical Center.

That summer night, Robertson allegedly exited his car and shot Wornum multiple times before stealing a gold chain from him, Conley’s office said.

See press release from Conley’s office below:

Two Arraigned After Indictments in June Homicides

Two men charged in separate homicides this June remain held without bail following their indictments last week and their Superior Court arraignments today, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ANTHONY ROBERTSON (D.O.B. 5/19/91) of Dorchester was formally charged this morning with first-degree murder for the June 26 shooting death of 25-year-old Aaron Wornum. Just a few hours later, LAQUAN MILLER (D.O.B. 5/25/94) of Roslindale was charged with the same offense for the June 5 shooting death of Wilfredo Martinez, 23, and the non-fatal shooting of a second 23-year-old man during the same incident.

Acting on requests by Assistant District Attorney Davide Fredette of Conley’s Homicide Unit, Clerk Magistrate Connie Wong kept in place orders that both men be held without bail as they have been since their previous arraignments in district court.

Speaking at Robertson’s arraignment this morning, Fredette told the court that Wornum and Robertson were known to one another. Wornum had been on his cell phone with a person he was supposed to meet at about 9:00 on the evening he was killed, Fredette said, and phone records show that person to be Robertson.

At about that time, Robertson allegedly drove up to the scene, exited his car, and pulled a gun. He allegedly shot Wornum multiple times, killing him, and stole a gold chain from him.

Just before his death, Wornum is said to have pleaded for his life, saying, “Ant, it doesn’t have to be this way,” or “Ant, you don’t have to do me like this,” Fredette said.

Multiple witnesses have identified Robertson as the shooter, Fredette said.

A few hours later, Fredette recited the facts of the case against Miller, telling the court that Martinez and another man were behind a Brookway Road building shortly after 10:00 p.m. when two other individuals came out from inside that building and opened fire on them. Martinez suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died of his injuries; the second victim survived his injuries but required extensive rehabilitative therapy as a result of them.

Miller was later identified by several individuals as being one of the gunmen, Fredette said. When he spoke to police, Miller allegedly gave multiple alibis that conflicted with one another and the known facts, Fredette said.

The investigation into the identity of the second shooter remains very active even today, Fredette told the court.

Jessica Sheehan is the DA’s victim witness advocate assigned to both cases. Robertson is represented by attorney James Greenberg and will return to court on Oct. 25. Miller is represented by attorney Bruce Carroll and will return to court on Oct. 13.

During a Boston Police staffing ceremony, Commissioner William Evans and Mayor Martin Walsh took the opportunity to speak on the deadly rise in violence the city has seen in the short start to the new year, according to a statement from police.

January had nine homicides with another two so far this month. Many of the killings appear to be gang-related, including a string of four fatal shootings in the end of January, according to police.

The recent spike in violence includes Friday’s alleged accidental shooting of Jan Marcos Peña. His 14-year-old unidentified brother is accused of killing the 9-year-old Mattapan resident when he was “recklessly” handling a firearm that struck his brother in their apartment, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley’s office said in a statement.

“We’ve made progress in important areas, but everyone knows that we can’t let up, especially in the communities that are hardest hit by violence,” Walsh said at the ceremony, the Globe reported. “We’ve seen recently how violence can escalate, and how destructive and tragic illegal guns can be. We have to get these illegal guns off the street.”

The eldest brother was arraigned Monday and ordered held on a $50,000 bail. He is charged with involuntary manslaughter and possession of an illegal firearm.

On the eve of jury selection, a last-second question about the lawfulness of cell phone tracking could delay the murder trial of Anthony Robertson by months.

Robertson, 22, of Dorchester, is accused of shooting and killing 25-year-old Aaron Wornum in June of 2011, according to the Suffolk County district attorney’s office.

In court on Monday, attorneys debated a series of final motions that set parameters for the trial, which is expected to begin this week. But one question about the admissibility of location data drawn from cell phone towers rose above rote procedure, and the judge’s decision will determine if prosecutors can go forward with the case or will have to ask for a stay in proceedings.

When people uses cell phones, their location is roughly recorded based on what service tower picks up their signal. Police can then use this data to show a person was near a scene when a crime occurred.

Prosecutor David Fredette said cell phone location records show Robertson was near the area when Wornum was shot on Sumner Street on June 26, 2011. He said the data does not pinpoint exactly where a person was, but it is accurate within a radius of about half a mile.

The use of cell phone location data by police has recently emerged as the subject of legal controversy. Currently, police do not need to obtain a search warrant to collect the cell phone records. They merely need to show the information pertains to an ongoing investigation, rather than having to show probable cause, a higher standard required for warrants.

Some people argue that this standard is not high enough, and failing to acquire a warrant to obtain cell phone location data is a violation of personal privacy rights. They say the records essentially allow investigators to access the same information as a GPS tracking device would.

Prosecutors sometimes use cell phone records over a period of weeks or months to build a picture of a suspect’s activities, Fredette said. In the Robertson case, he said, he used cell phone records from June 1 to July 15.

Superior court judges have been split on the issue and the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts heard a case about the cell phone location data last fall. The state’s high court has yet to issue a decision on the matter, leaving Judge Patrick F. Brady on his own to determine if the records are admissible in the Robertson murder trial.

Defense Attorney James Greenberg argued that the cell phone records should be thrown out because police did not obtain a warrant before accessing them. Fredette said the Commonwealth will probably have to ask for a stay, effectively putting the trial on hold, if Brady decides the records are inadmissible. Though prosecutors said they have witnesses who place Robertson at the scene, Fredette said the cell phone data is reliable evidence and is important to the case.

Brady took the matter under advisement and is expected to make a decision Tuesday morning, when the attorneys expect to begin choosing a jury for the case. He said the question coming so soon before trial puts him in a bind.

“I’ve got a case that’s ready for trial,” he said. “Everyone’s geared up. It’s a lot of work to do.”

See press releases from the Suffolk County district attorney’s office below:

Two Arraigned After Indictments in June Homicides
Two men charged in separate homicides this June remain held without bail following their indictments last week and their Superior Court arraignments today, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ANTHONY ROBERTSON (D.O.B. 5/19/91) of Dorchester was formally charged this morning with first-degree murder for the June 26 shooting death of 25-year-old Aaron Wornum. Just a few hours later, LAQUAN MILLER (D.O.B. 5/25/94) of Roslindale was charged with the same offense for the June 5 shooting death of Wilfredo Martinez, 23, and the non-fatal shooting of a second 23-year-old man during the same incident.

Acting on requests by Assistant District Attorney Davide Fredette of Conley’s Homicide Unit, Clerk Magistrate Connie Wong kept in place orders that both men be held without bail as they have been since their previous arraignments in district court.

Speaking at Robertson’s arraignment this morning, Fredette told the court that Wornum and Robertson were known to one another. Wornum had been on his cell phone with a person he was supposed to meet at about 9:00 on the evening he was killed, Fredette said, and phone records show that person to be Robertson.

At about that time, Robertson allegedly drove up to the scene, exited his car, and pulled a gun. He allegedly shot Wornum multiple times, killing him, and stole a gold chain from him.

Just before his death, Wornum is said to have pleaded for his life, saying, “Ant, it doesn’t have to be this way,” or “Ant, you don’t have to do me like this,” Fredette said.

Multiple witnesses have identified Robertson as the shooter, Fredette said.

A few hours later, Fredette recited the facts of the case against Miller, telling the court that Martinez and another man were behind a Brookway Road building shortly after 10:00 p.m. when two other individuals came out from inside that building and opened fire on them. Martinez suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died of his injuries; the second victim survived his injuries but required extensive rehabilitative therapy as a result of them.

Miller was later identified by several individuals as being one of the gunmen, Fredette said. When he spoke to police, Miller allegedly gave multiple alibis that conflicted with one another and the known facts, Fredette said.

The investigation into the identity of the second shooter remains very active even today, Fredette told the court.

Jessica Sheehan is the DA’s victim witness advocate assigned to both cases. Robertson is represented by attorney James Greenberg and will return to court on Oct. 25. Miller is represented by attorney Bruce Carroll and will return to court on Oct. 13.

No Bail in June Slaying on Sumner Street
A Dorchester man was held without bail on a murder charge stemming from the shooting death last month of 25-year-old Aaron Wornum in Dorchester, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.
Assistant District Attorney David Fredette of Conley’s Homicide Unit today recommended that ANTHONY ROBERTSON (D.O.B. 5/19/91) be held without bail pending trial; Dorchester District Court Judge Rosalind Miller granted that request.

Fredette told the court that the victim and defendant were known to one another. Phone records obtained by investigators suggest the victim was on his cell phone just before the June 26 shooting, Fredette said, and additional investigation has linked the other phone to the defendant.

Wornum was shot multiple times near the intersection of Sumner and East Cottage streets at about 9:00 that night. He was transported to Boston Medical Center where he died of his injuries.

On Tuesday, amid the ongoing and at times around-the-clock investigation, prosecutors approved a warrant charging Robertson with Wornum’s murder. Late yesterday, members of the Boston Police Fugitive Unit and Youth Violence Strike Force apprehended him at an Arbutus Street residence.

Wornum is represented by attorney James Greenberg. He will return to court on Aug. 15.

Prosecutors on Thursday identified lab tests, fingerprint reports and detectives’ notes as part of the evidence they expect to use in building a case against 33-year-old Angeliea Brown, who is accused of killing 73-year-old Winston Fields last summer.

The evidence was listed in a discovery notice filed in Suffolk Superior Court on Jan. 30. Authorities allege Brown stabbed Fields to death in his Roxbury apartment last August, according to a police statement.

The latest court filing is another step in the trial process, and it gives some indication about what evidence might be significant when attorneys argue the case.

In previous court filings, prosecutors said they would also use surveillance images and witness testimony to attempt to tie Brown, of Dorchester, to the crime.

Police found Fields’ body in his apartment on Aug. 14, 2013, court records show. 

Fields lived on the sixth floor of an apartment building for the elderly at 2311 Washington St., according to court records. Prosecutors believe Brown and Fields previously used drugs in the apartment, according to a statement from the Suffolk County district attorney’s office. They also said Brown’s image was recorded by surveillance cameras around Fields’ apartment on Aug. 9.

Brown’s next scheduled pretrial hearing is April 29. According to a case docket, Brown’s trial is expected to begin in November.

See a press release from the Suffolk County district attorney’s office below:

Drug Suspect Charged in 73-Year-Old’s Fatal Stabbing

See a press release from the Boston Police Department below:

ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR SUSPECT IN CONNECTION WITH AUGUST HOMICIDE
September 26, 2013
Suspect in Custody on Unrelated Charges

On Wednesday, September 25, 2013, Suffolk County District Attorney prosecutors and Boston Police homicide detectives charged Angeliea Brown, 33, of Dorchester with Murder in the August 14th stabbing death of Winston Fields, 73, of Roxbury.

As the result of an extensive investigation and community cooperation, detectives were able to identify Angeliea Brown as the individual responsible for Mr. Fields death. Angeliea Brown is currently incarcerated at the South Bay House of Correction on charges unrelated to this stabbing incident.

The facts of the homicide are as follows:

At about 2:37 PM, Wednesday, August 14, 2013, officers from District 2 (Roxbury) responded to a radio call for a Sudden Death at 2311 Washington Street.

On arrival, officers located an elderly male victim. EMS responded and pronounced the victim deceased. The cause of death has been ruled as Homicide as a result of a stabbing.

The victim has been identified as Winston Fields, 73, of Roxbury.

Homicide detectives are actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is encouraged to call detectives at (617) 343-4470.

Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1(800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of those who wish to help this investigation anonymously.

A copy of Brown’s indictment has been added below.

Lawyers wary of excessive media attention have successfully moved to protect from publication much of the evidence identified in the early phases of Edwin Alemany’s murder case, court records show.

The initial discovery evidence includes grand jury minutes, crime scene photos, bank and medical records, interview transcripts and dozens of police forms. The evidence list totals several pages in the case file.

Alemany, 29, of Mattapan, is accused of killing 24-year-old Amy Lord, of South Boston. Prosecutors allege that he abducted, then stabbed and strangled Lord before dumping her body in the Stony Brook Reservation in Hyde Park last July. He is charged with murder and several other offenses including armed robbery, sexual assault and kidnapping in connection with Lord’s slaying.

A motion for a protective order filed by the prosecution and assented to by the defense indicates that attorneys are concerned that the case has already garnered significant media attention, and additional stories will make finding impartial jurors in Suffolk County more difficult.

“The discovery materials contain information, which, if made public, would likely result in additional widespread media coverage of a sensational nature,” prosecutors wrote in the motion.

Alemany’s presumptive trial date is in December of this year, according to a court docket, but it is still unclear if and when that will actually happen. Attorneys first have to go through a series of pretrial hearings and attempt to determine Alemany’s competency. He is next due in court Feb. 6. 

Defense attorneys have said that Alemany suffers from schizophrenia and that he attempted to kill himself after his arrest, The Boston Globe reported. He is being held at Bridgewater State Hospital, according to the Suffolk County district attorney’s office.

Before she was kidnapped on July 23, media reports indicate, Lord was on her way to the gym from her apartment on Dorchester Street in South Boston. Police said she was forced to withdraw money from five different ATMs between 6 a.m. and 6:47 a.m. on the morning of her death. Authorities found her car on fire in South Boston later that morning.

Alemany also faces assault charges in connection with several other alleged attacks. Hours before Lord was killed, prosecutors allege, Alemany hit and choked a 22-year-old woman on Old Colony Avenue.

Later that night, authorities said, Alemany stabbed a 21-year-old woman near her home on Gate Street.

Nearly a year earlier on Sept. 28, 2012, prosecutors said, Alemany choked a 20-year-old woman on Parker Hill Avenue.

On Aug. 14 of last year, Alemany was arraigned on charges connected to the two attacks that happened within hours of the Lord slaying. A judge in South Boston District Court held him on $3 million cash bail.

Prosecutors said one of the victims in those two assaults identified Alemany in a police photo array. They additionally have listed forensic samples and surveillance images as evidence tying Alemany to the individual crimes.

A grand jury on Nov. 15 approved indictments against Alemany for 20 total counts from all four incidents, according to the case file. He pleaded innocent to all charges Dec. 11 in Suffolk Superior Court.

See releases from the Suffolk County district attorney’s office below:

Alleged South Boston Murderer Held on 20-Count Indictment
BOSTON, Dec. 11, 2013—The South Boston man charged with murdering 24-year-old Amy Lord and violently attacking three other women will continue to be held without bail after his Superior Court arraignment today, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

EDWIN ALEMANY (D.O.B. 9/2/84) was arraigned on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed carjacking, two counts of armed robbery, two counts of armed robbery while masked, armed assault with intent to rape, stealing by confining, arson of a motor vehicle, and assault and battery, all in connection with Lord’s July 23 homicide. He was also charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault and battery, armed assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and unarmed robbery stemming from three additional attacks that occurred in Mission Hill and South Boston before and after Lord’s July 23 homicide.

At the request of Assistant District Attorney John Pappas, the DA’s chief trial counsel, Clerk Magistrate Gary Wilson ordered that Alemany continue to be held without bail as he has been since his August arraignment in West Roxbury District Court on charges connected to Lord’s murder.

Pappas told the court that Alemany was charged in four violent attacks, each one committed against a lone woman in the late night or early morning hours.

At about 6:00 am on July 23, Pappas said, Lord stepped out of her Dorchester Street apartment building. Alemany, who was walking in the area, forced her back inside and assaulted her. He then allegedly forced her at knifepoint into her Jeep Cherokee. Over the next hour, Pappas said, Alemany drove Lord to multiple ATMs and forced her to make cash withdrawals, attempting to conceal his face during at least two of the transactions. After additional attempts to make withdrawals failed, investigators believe, Alemany drove Lord to Stony Brook Reservation in Hyde Park, assaulted her, and stabbed her to death.

After the murder, Pappas said, Alemany drove to a gas station and purchased a quantity of gasoline before driving back to South Boston and setting Lord’s stolen jeep on fire. He later spent some of the money he’d robbed from Lord on scratch tickets and a new cell phone.

The attack on Lord followed an aborted attack on another lone woman about an hour earlier. In that case, Pappas said, Alemany is accused of attacking a 22-year-old woman on Old Colony Avenue just before 5:00 a.m. Prosecutors say he struck her in the face and threatened to kill her as he dragged by her legs into a parking lot, prosecutors said. He allegedly choked the woman as she fought to escape but then released her and fled the scene.

Alemany committed another violent assault shortly after midnight on July 24 – this time stabbing a 21-year-old woman in the torso, face, and neck, as she approached her Gate Street home, prosecutors said. Neighbors called 911 and Alemany fled.

During the assault, Pappas said, Alemany cut his own hand with the knife he used to stab the victim. He admitted himself to Tufts Medical Center – the same hospital where paramedics transported the victim. Those paramedics spotted Alemany at the hospital, recognized him from the description provided by the victim, and notified Boston Police who had responded to the hospital. Alemany was arrested that morning.

For the first time, Alemany was formally charged today with a fourth attack, this one targeting a 20-year-old woman at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 28, 2012. Alemany allegedly attacked her from behind and choked her as she walked along Parker Hill Avenue. The woman was able to grab Alemany’s wallet before she lost consciousness. In addition to the wallet, Pappas said, investigators also recovered from the scene a baseball cap. A DNA profile lifted from the hat was consistent with Alemany’s, prosecutors said.

Alemany is represented by attorney Jeffrey Denner. He will return to court on February 6.

–30–

All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

$3M Bail in Two Attacks on Women in South Boston
BOSTON, Aug. 14, 2013—The South Boston man charged in the murder of 24-year-old Amy Lord was held on $3 million cash bail today at his arraignment on non-fatal attacks on two other lone women in that neighborhood, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

EDWIN ALEMANY (D.O.B. 9/2/84) was arraigned in South Boston District Court on three complaints arising out of the two attacks – one Old Colony Avenue on the morning of July 23 and one on Gates Street shortly after midnight on July 24. Suffolk Chief Trial Counsel John Pappas recommended that he be held on $1 million bail on each of three complaints, which Judge Thomas C. Horgan imposed.

Alemany is charged in the first incident with two complaints, one alleging assault with intent to murder and the other alleging assault and battery, kidnapping, and threats to commit a crime. Pappas told the court that Alemany approached an adult female as she walked to work at about 5:00 a.m. He allegedly punched her in the face and dragged her by the legs into a nearby parking lot. When the victim told him to “take everything,” he allegedly told her “I’m not robbing you. I’m here to kill you.” Alemany allegedly held the woman by the neck and looked her over before stating that she wasn’t the person he was looking for. He allegedly told her not to tell police about the attack.

Alemany is additionally charged with armed assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for the second incident, in which Pappas said Alemany rushed a woman as she entered her Gates Street building a few minutes after midnight. He allegedly stabbed her repeatedly in the torso, neck, face, and neck but fled when she began to scream. Alemany has been linked to this attack through forensic testing, but was arrested at Tufts Medical Center, where he presented with a serious laceration to his hand and was observed to match the description of the victim’s attacker.

In the aftermath of his arrest on that attack, Pappas said, Alemany was also identified by the Old Colony Avenue victim after Boston Police presented her with a photo array.

Alemany was first brought to South Boston court on July 25 but was sent to Bridgewater State Hospital after a court clinician recommended a 20-day competency evaluation. In the days that followed, police and prosecutors investigating the homicide of Amy Lord at the Stony Brook reservation developed witness statements, surveillance imagery, and forensic evidence implicating Alemany in that crime as well. They obtained an additional complaint charging him with murder, for which he will be arraigned tomorrow in West Roxbury District Court.

Katherine Moran is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Alemany is represented by attorney Jeffrey Denner. He will return to South Boston court on Nov. 13.

–30–

All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Now Charged with Murder, Alleged Killer Sent Back to Bridgewater
BOSTON, Aug. 15, 2013—Amy Lord’s alleged killer abducted her from her South Boston home, drove her to multiple banks to withdraw money, stabbed her to death, and then set her car on fire, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office said at the man’s murder arraignment today.

West Roxbury District Court Judge Kathleen Coffey granted prosecutors’ requests that EDWIN ALEMANY (D.O.B. 9/2/84) be held without bail pending trial. She also ordered him to return to Bridgewater State Hospital for further observation. Alemany is charged in West Roxbury with one count of murder.

Assistant District Attorney John Pappas, Conley’s chief trial counsel, led the proceedings, which marked the first time prosecutors have spoken publicly about the sequence of events that preceded and followed Lord’s death.

Lord’s vehicle was found ablaze just after 8:30 a.m. on July 24 in the area of Sterling Square in South Boston. A few hours later, Boston Police received a missing persons report arising out of Lord’s failure to meet a friend at her usual bus stop, go to the gym as she usually did, or arrive at work that morning.

Lord’s remains were discovered in a wooded area of the Stony Brook Reservation later that afternoon. She had been beaten, strangled, and stabbed.

As part of the investigation, detectives reviewed Lord’s banking records and found that her account had been accessed five times at various automated teller machines. Investigators recovered video surveillance images from those locations, which show Lord in the company of another person whom prosecutors say was Alemany. Hours later, however, Alemany was seen alone in her vehicle.

Video surveillance imagery also shows what investigators believe to be Lord’s abduction from her building just before 5:40 that morning, and additional surveillance also depicts Alemany spending a large amount of money at a store in South Boston after they believe Lord was slain.

Additionally, investigators have developed physical evidence that provides a forensic link between Alemany’s clothing and Amy Lord.

Katherine Moran is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Alemany is represented by attorney Jeffrey Denner. He is due back in West Roxbury court on the murder charge on Nov. 13, and in South Boston court the same day in connection with two additional non-fatal attacks on lone women in South Boston during the same 24-hour period.

–30–

All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Remarks of District Attorney Daniel F. Conley on the Indictment of Edwin Alemany
BOSTON, Nov. 15, 2013—Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley was joined by Acting Boston Police Commissioner William Evans and a top courtroom prosecutor to deliver the following remarks on a 20-count indictment charging EDWIN ALEMANY (D.O.B. 9/2/84) with the July 23 homicide of Amy Lord and three other attacks on women:

“A short time ago, the Suffolk County Grand Jury returned indictments charging EDWIN ALEMANY with four violent attacks on lone women in the City of Boston. These indictments join separate cases arising out of Mission Hill, South Boston, and West Roxbury into one consolidated prosecution we expect to bring in Suffolk Superior Court. As you know, Alemany is in custoday and will remain held pending an arraignment next month on these new charges.

“The indictments charge Alemany with first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed carjacking, two counts of armed robbery, two counts of armed robbery while masked, stealing by confining, arson of a motor vehicle, and assault-related offenses – all in connection with the homicide of 24-year-old Amy Lord on the morning of July 23.

“The evidence suggests that Alemany abducted Ms. Lord as she left her Dorchester Street apartment shortly before 6:00 a.m. We believe he beat her and forced her into her Jeep Cherokee at knifepoint. In a little less than an hour that followed, he ordered her to make cash withdrawals at four bank machines through South Boston and Dorchester. We believe he then transported Ms. Lord to the Stony Brook Reservation in Hyde Park, where he murdered her. He then drove her Jeep back to South Boston, where he set it on fire at about 8:30 a.m.

“The homicide of Amy Lord was savage and brutal. The level of violence visited upon her shocked the City of Boston and even hardened police and prosecutors with decades of experience. But it was not the beginning or the end of Edwin Alemany’s violent spree.

“He is also charged with attempted murder, unarmed robbery, and assault and battery for a physical assault on a 20-year-old woman on Sept. 28, 2012. The victim in that case was walking along Parker Hill Avenue at about 2:30 a.m. when Alemany allegedly attacked her from behind and began to choke her. The woman fought back, and before she lost consciousness she was able to grab hold of Alemany’s wallet. That wallet was recovered at the scene along with a baseball cap. The cap was submitted for DNA testing as part of this investigation and yielded a profile consistent with Alemany’s.

“He is charged with attempted murder and assault and battery for a physical assault on a 22-year-old woman just before 5:00 a.m on July 23, 2013. She, too, was walking alone in the early morning hours when Alemany allegedly struck her in the face, knocked her to the ground, and dragged her by her legs into a parking lot off of Old Colony Avenue. As he did so, he allegedly told her he wasn’t going to rob her – he was going to kill her. But before he hurt her further, he fled the scene on foot.

“He is charged with armed assault with intent to murder and aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for one last attack shortly after midnight on July 24 – about 18 hours after Amy Lord was killed and about eight hours after her body was discovered by a passerby. In that case, he rushed a 21-year-old woman as she approached her Gates Street residence and began stabbing her. She suffered serious injuries to her torso, face, neck – but she screamed for help and neighbors called 911. As her attacker fled on foot, emergency medical technicians raced to the scene, where they stabilized her condition and brought her to Tufts Medical Center.

“The evidence suggests that Alemany cut his left hand badly on the knife he used to stab this last victim. By pure chance, he admitted himself for treatment at the same hospital where she was being treated – and where she gave a description that matched him to a T. Paramedics spotted Alemany, recognized that description, and notified Boston Police. Alemany has been in custody since that time.

“The evidence supporting these indictments comes from many and diverse sources. It comes from surveillance cameras, witness statements, DNA testing, interviews with the surviving victims, and many other sources.

“There is also unmistakable pattern evidence in these crimes: All of the victims were young women between the ages of 20 and 24. Each was walking alone in the late night or early morning hours. And the attacks were all blitz-style physical assaults where the victims were immediately overwhelmed with violence. Moreover, the power of 21st century science reveals that the assailant left traces of himself at some scenes, and carried traces of others on his clothing. Separately, these cases are pieces of a puzzle, but together they show a picture of one man – Edwin Alemany. This will be a challenging case, but a compelling one that we look forward to proving to a jury.

“The herculean job of marshaling this evidence was undertaken by an outstanding team. I’d like to note the contributions of Suffolk Chief Trial Counsel John Pappas; the Boston Police homicide squad of Sgt. Det. Paul McLaughlin and detectives Jeff Cecil, Jamie Sheehan, and Joe Keaveny; members of the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit; the Boston Police Crime Lab; the Forensic Audio Video Imaging Unit of our office; uniformed Boston and State police, and most especially the civilian witnesses across the city who cooperated with this investigation from start to finish.

“Edwin Alemany’s criminal past suggests a car thief and petty crook whose offenses were occasionally violent but never approached this level of savagery – until the events of September 2012. We may never know what sparked that change in behavior, but today we do know this – there is an unmistakable clarity of mind in his actions, especially through the morning of July 23. We believe a jury will see those actions for what they are: efforts to commit a terrible crime and escape detection in its aftermath.

“Victim advocates from our office spoke today with members of Amy Lord’s family to tell them of this morning’s development and offer once again our promise to do everything in our power to hold accountable the man who took their daughter’s life. I also want to let them know that I have every confidence in Acting Commissioner William Evans, who was at the Stony Brook scene on the day Amy was murdered and who expressed his own commitment to hold her killer accountable. He’s got my deepest respect as a cop and a commissioner, and I’d like to ask him to say a few words, as well.”

Alemany is represented by attorney Jeffrey Denner. His arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court has not yet been scheduled but is expected next month.

–30–

All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

See releases from the Boston Police Department here:

Boston Police Seeking Public’s Help in Efforts to Learn More as it Relates to the Amy Lord Investigation (Images Released)
July 24, 2013

Between the hours of 6:00AM and 6:47AM, on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, Amy Lord’s bank account was accessed several times. During that time period, five ATM’s were accessed.

The locations are as follows:
• East Boston Savings Bank at 501 Southampton Street
• Metro Credit Union at 1071 Massachusetts Ave
• Bank of America at 555 Columbia Road
• Sovereign Bank at 585 Columbia Road
• Citizen’s Bank at 217 Adams Street

The Boston Police Department is releasing several images of Amy Lord and her vehicle captured on surveillance video during that time period. Investigators are asking community members to pay special attention to Amy Lord’s wardrobe in particular her shoes which appear to be bright red or orange in color.

The Boston Police Department is actively investigating facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is asked to call Homicide detectives at 617-343-4470.

Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling CrimeStoppers at 1(800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of those wishing to remain anonymous.

UPDATE: Suspect Charged in South Boston Murder
August 01, 2013

At approximately 4:03PM, Boston Police received a radio call for a found body. A person walking in Stony Brook Reservation in Hyde Park (District 18) found the body of a deceased adult female. The female victim has since been identified as Amy Lord, 24, of South Boston.

The suspect has been identified as Edwin Alemany, 29, of Mattapan.

Boston Police Homicide Unit and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, as a result of information received and interviews conducted, charged Edwin Alemany, 29, of Mattapan with Murder in the death of Amy Lord.

Alemany will be arraigned in West Roxbury District Court.

A copy of Alemany’s indictment has been added below.

Police are continuing to investigate the slaying of Walter D. White, Jr., 19, who was shot and killed on Norfolk Street in Mattapan at about 6 p.m. on Sept. 5, 2013, a spokesman for the Suffolk County district attorney’s office said.

White was a Boston resident who was born in Liberia, according to an obituary.

See a press release from the Boston Police Department below:

Update: Victim Identified in Fatal Shooting at 502 Norfolk Street, Mattapan
September 05, 2013

At about 6:02pm, on Thursday, September 5, 2013, officers from District B-3 (Mattapan) responded to a radio call for a person shot at 502 Norfolk Street.

Upon arrival, officers located a male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wound. The victim with life threatening injuries was pronounced deceased at the scene. The victim has since been identified as Walter White, 19, of Mattapan.

Homicide detectives are actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is encouraged to call detectives at (617) 343-4470.

Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1(800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of those who wish to help this investigation anonymously.

Homicide detectives are continuing to investigate the shooting of Ahmir Ariel Lee, 22, who was killed at about 11 p.m. on  Aug. 22, 2013 on Boylston Street near Copley Square, a spokesman for the Suffolk County district attorney’s office said.

Lee was a father of two who lived in Boston, according to an obituary. At a vigil in September, Lee’s mother told The Boston Globe that she felt as though her son’s case had been brushed aside and was not receiving adequate attention.

A police spokeswoman told The Globe that homicide detectives were seeking the public’s help in identifying Lee’s killer.

Immediately after the shooting, the police department reported that officers were looking for a black man wearing a blue Hawaiian-style shirt in connection with the shooting.

 See a press release from the Boston Police Department below:

Death Investigation in the area of 553 Boylston Street
August 23, 2013

At about 11:08 PM, Thursday, August 22, 2013, officers from District 4 (Back Bay) responded to a radio call for a person shot at 553 Boylston Street, Back Bay

Upon arrival, officers located a male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to Boston Medical Center with life threatening injuries and later pronounced deceased.

Homicide detectives are actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is encouraged to call detectives at (617) 343-5619.

Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1(800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of those who wish to help this investigation anonymously.

The accused killer of 33-year-old Melissa Hardy is due in court March 4 for a pretrial hearing, according to a court docket.

Hardy, of South Boston, was found beaten to death on June 26, 2013, and authorities have charged her ex-boyfriend, 43-year-old Martin A. Jiminez, with murder in connection with the slaying.

Authorities found Hardy’s body in Jiminez’s room in an unregulated South Boston sober house on East Fourth Street, according to The Boston Globe. Her family had last seen her three days earlier on June 23.

Prosecutors said Hardy, a mother of one, and Jiminez had broken up weeks before the slaying. They also allege that he discussed committing the crime while being treated in a New Hampshire hospital after an arrest for operating under the influence on June 24.

In November, prosecutors won a motion to take a DNA sample from Jiminez’s cheek, according to the court docket.

See a press release from the Suffolk County district attorney’s office below:

Two Arraigned in Separate Boston Homicides

A copy of Jiminez’s indictment has been added below.

Elosko Brown, 27, of Brockton, was arraigned Jan. 14 in Suffolk Superior Court on charges that he shot and killed 19-year-old Joseph Morante, of Revere, in what police have described as a botched robbery at a Roxbury cell phone store, according to the Suffolk County district attorney’s office.

Morante, an employee of the cell phone store at 1053 Tremont St., died July 31, 2013, authorities said. Before his death, he had earned his GED and was engaged to be married, his fiancé told The Boston Globe. The Suffolk County district attorney first announced charges against Brown in November. He is accused of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Prosecutors said surveillance camera footage shows Morante putting his hands in the air after Brown pulled a gun in the store. They allege that Brown shot Morante in the torso.

Brown is due in court again on March 4, according to a spokesman for the district attorney.

See press releases from the Boston Police Department below:

Update: BPD Video and Photos of Suspect in July Shooting Death
September 27, 2013

Boston Police are seeking the public’s help to identify the suspect in an armed robbery that lead to the shooting death of a Joseph Morante.

The facts of the homicide are as follows:
At about 1:29 PM, Wednesday, July 31, 2013, officers from district D-4 (South End) responded to a radio call for a Person Shot in the area of 1053 Tremont Street, Roxbury.

On arrival, officers located an adult male victim suffering from an apparent gun shot wound. The victim was transported to Boston Medical Center were he was pronounced deceased. The victim was later identified as Joseph Morante, 19, of Revere.

Homicide detectives are actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is encouraged to call detectives at (617) 343-4470.

Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1(800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of those who wish to help this investigation anonymously.

Update: Suspect Arrested in the Murder of Joseph Morante
November 17, 2013

Earlier this morning members of the Youth Violence Strike Force and Brockton Police arrested Elosko Brown, 27, of Brockton for the murder of Joseph Morante. Brown will be arraigned tomorrow in Roxbury District Court. After a thorough and complete investigation, the Boston Police Homicide Unit, working closely with District D-4 (South End) detectives, Drug Control Unit, Boston Reginal Intelligence Center (BRIC), Crime Stoppers, Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and Electronic Crimes/Forensic Group were able to identify and name the suspect responsible for the shooting. Accordingly, detectives sought and obtained an arrest warrant in the name of the suspect.

The facts of the homicide are as follows:

At about 1:29 PM, Wednesday, July 31, 2013, officers from district D-4 (South End) responded to a radio call for a Person Shot in the area of 1053 Tremont Street, Roxbury.

On arrival, officers located an adult male victim suffering from an apparent gun shot wound. The victim was transported to Boston Medical Center were he was pronounced deceased. The victim was later identified as Joseph Morante, 19, of Revere.

Homicide detectives are actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is encouraged to call detectives at (617) 343-4470.

Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1(800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of those who wish to help this investigation anonymously.

See press releases from the Suffolk County district attorney’s office and a copy of Brown’s indictment below:

No Bail for Alleged Gunman who “Snuffed Out a Life of Promise”

BOSTON, Nov. 18, 2013—The man who pulled a gun on Joseph Morante, Jr., during a July 31 robbery pulled the trigger even though he faced no resistance from the store clerk, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ELOSKO BROWN (D.O.B. 2/23/86) of Brockton was arraigned in Roxbury District Court today on charges of murder, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm, all in connection with Morante’s shooting death outside the Roxbury electronics store where he worked. At the request of Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin, he was ordered held without bail pending trial.

“Everything we know about Joseph Morante suggested promise,” Conley said. “At just 19, he was on the cusp of adulthood. He was in love and worked at a job he enjoyed. He had friends and family and colleagues who adored him. He had a good life ahead of him, but everything he might have been was snuffed out for no reason at all by one man with a gun.”

Zabin told the court that Morante was working at the iWorld Accessories shop on Tremont Street in Roxbury when Brown walked into the otherwise empty store shortly before 1:30 p.m. After a brief interaction between the two, Zabin said, Morante went behind a counter at the rear of the store.

Brown allegedly waited a moment, then walked over to the counter and produced a gun. Morante put his hands up and offered no resistance, but Brown allegedly shot him in the torso nonetheless.

“We believe this was a completely unprovoked shooting,” Conley said. “It never should have happened.”

Mortally wounded, Morante ran past the defendant and out of the store, making it to the corner of Cunard Street before he collapsed. Meanwhile, Brown allegedly stole a quantity of cell phones and other electronics before fleeing on foot.

Morante was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead of his injuries.

The investigation has been active since that afternoon, Zabin said, with Boston Police homicide detectives gathering video surveillance from Morante’s shop and other businesses in the area – including surveillance images released to the public in September. Criminalists scoured the crime scene for trace evidence and prosecutors began eliciting testimony from witnesses and potential witnesses in the Suffolk County Grand Jury. Those efforts came to a head on Saturday, when prosecutors approved a warrant for Brown’s arrest.

Members of the Boston Police Youth Violence Strike Force and Brockton Police arrested Brown at a Brockton residence yesterday morning.

Kara Hayes is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Brown is represented by attorney Elda James. He will return to court on Dec. 17.

–30–

All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Robbery, Murder Suspect Due in Court Tomorrow
BOSTON, Jan. 13, 2014—The man who allegedly gunned down 19-year-old Joseph Morante Jr. during an armed robbery will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court tomorrow following his indictment for first-degree murder and related offenses, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced today.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury on Jan. 6 returned indictments charging ELOSKO BROWN (D.O.B. 2/23/86) of Brockton with first-degree murder, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Brown was previously arraigned on these charges in Roxbury District Court. The indictment moves the case from the district court to Suffolk Superior Court, where it will be adjudicated.

According to prosecutors, Brown entered the iWorld Accessories electronics store on Tremont Street in Roxbury shortly before 1:30 p.m. on July 31. The only other person inside the store was Morante, a shop employee who interacted briefly with Brown before walking behind the counter.

Moments later, Brown approached the counter and pulled out a gun, prosecutors said. Upon seeing the gun, Morante put up his hands and offered no resistance, but Brown allegedly pulled the trigger and shot him in the torso.

Morante fled from the store and collapsed on the corner of Cunard Street. As the victim ran, prosecutors say Brown stole a quantity of cell phones and other electronics before fleeing the store on foot.

Morante was transported to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

In the days and weeks that followed, Boston Police and Suffolk prosecutors undertook extensive efforts to identify the assailant. After a review of video surveillance at and near the store, as well as statements from multiple witnesses, Brown was taken into custody on Nov. 16.

Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin, chief of the DA’s Homicide Unit, led the grand jury investigation that led to yesterday’s indictment. Kara Hayes is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Brown is represented by attorney Elda James.

A copy of Brown’s indictment has been added below.