Bristol County District Attorney’s office concludes missing Ernestina wood investigation

The Bristol County District Attorney’s office has concluded its investigation into missing pine beams associated with the Schooner Ernestina in New Bedford. In December 2018, the New Bedford Police Department referred an investigation to the District Attorney’s Office involving missing pine beams donated to the Schooner Ernestina that had been stored on City of New Bedford property in Freetown. Questions had been raised regarding what happened to the pine beams, and if anyone, including city employees, had committed a crime.

The investigation was conducted by Assistant District Attorney Michael Scott, the chief of the office’s Financial Crimes Unit.