New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
“A 26-year-old New Bedford man who fatally stabbed Jorge Vieira during a fight at the Bay Village Apartments in Fall River three years ago was sentenced to serve 13 to 16 years in state prison on Monday after pleading guilty to a charge of Voluntary Manslaughter, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn announced.
On January 10, 2020 at the Bay Village Apartments in Fall River, Jessica Brophy had a get together at her Bay Village apartment, and in attendance was the defendant Nathan Silva. Silva and Brophy had been in an intimate relationship for several years. During the investigation, detectives learned Brophy had also been in a several year relationship with Jorge Vieira.
During the gathering, Vieira contacted Brophy by phone. The defendant took the phone and started communicating with Vieira, exchanging several heated text messages that evening. Then, on the following morning around 7am, Vieira arrived in the parking lot outside of Brophy’s window and began yelling outside. Witnesses observed Brophy yelling back at the victim from her window. Moments later, the defendant walked out to the parking lot where Vieira was waiting.
The two men are seen verbally arguing in close proximity to one another when Vieira punched the defendant, which began an extended physical altercation between the two men. At some point, Vieira stood up and was observed to be bleeding, at which time Brophy is heard saying to the victim, “you are leaking.”
The victim then made his way on foot to his car, called 911 and told police he had been stabbed. The victim was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased that same day as a result of a fatal stab wound to his heart. The defendant was arrested that evening at a motel in Seekonk.
Brophy was charged at the time with the obstruction of justice portion of the witness intimidation statute and was placed on probation for three years. She has since violated the terms of her probation and a warrant has been issued for her arrest.
“The killing of the victim in this case was truly a tragedy. It was made possible by the girlfriend of the defendant, enflaming the emotions of the both the defendant and the victim, which resulted in a fatal altercation,” District Attorney Quinn said. “My heart goes out to the victim’s family, and to the innocent family members on both sides who were deeply impacted by this incident.”-Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.
