“Last Thursday, July 7, at approximately 9:10 PM Troopers Scott Irish and Steve Sicard from the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad responded to a home on Charlene Drive in Mansfield after a suspicious spherical object was found by family members at the residence.

When Troopers arrived on scene they visually examined the object, which had been placed on the ground next to a Mansfield Police cruiser. The object was a spherical metallic ball, approximately 4 inches in diameter, and was severely corroded.

The Bomb Squad Troopers then took multiple x-rays of the object, which revealed inconsistencies within, indicating its interior was not homogenous matter. The x-ray image was consistent with cannonballs that have an interior void space filled with whatever explosive material was used by its manufacturer.

Based on that finding, as well the Troopers’ experience and additional research, they determined that the item was a Civil War-era cannonball and that it could be live.

The Troopers determined the best and safest course of action was to conduct a disposal and render the cannonball safe. The Mansfield Police and Fire Departments chose a safe disposal site in their town and made the proper notifications.

The Bomb Squad Troopers safely countercharged the cannonball. The manner in which the ball exploded when countercharged confirmed the Troopers’ suspicions that it was indeed live and still could have posed a threat.”-Massachusetts State Police.

Black bears are found throughout much of state. Learn what to do if you see a bear and take steps around your home to prevent problems with black bears.

With the increasing number of black bears found in many areas of Massachusetts, it is important for all residents to know how to prevent problems. While people living in western Massachusetts have been coexisting with bears for years, others in the eastern part of the state may be surprised to learn that black bears likely live nearby as well. In the mid-1970s, the Massachusetts black bear population was estimated at under 100 individuals, and today the population is estimated to be over 4,500.

As the bear range expands eastward toward the most densely populated communities of Massachusetts, bear sightings are increasing, and many people are asking themselves, “How dangerous are bears? Is it normal to see a bear in a neighborhood? What do I do if I encounter one?”. Taking a few easy, precautionary measures will help you avoid negative encounters with bears and other wildlife.

Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife photo.

Prevent conflicts with bears

At home:

Bears often pass through residential areas where you may not expect to see them. Bears tend to spend more time in neighborhoods if there is food available.

• Remove all potential food for bears including bird feeders, unsecured garbage, and compost piles.
• Clean greasy barbecues after each use.
• Feed pets indoors. The presence of a barking dog can trigger a bear to become aggressive; always keep dogs leashed, check your yard for bears before letting your dog out, and never let dogs chase or interact with bears.
• Special note for backyard chicken owners and beekeepers: Black bears killing chickens and damaging coops is becoming the number one human-bear conflict in Massachusetts. Installing and maintaining electric fencing is the only way to keep bears out of coops and away from hives. Learn how to protect your bees and chickens here.

While hiking or camping:
While bears are generally not aggressive and usually wary of people, it’s always important to respect bears and give them plenty of space if you encounter them in the woods.

• Always be aware of your surroundings. Normal trail noise will usually alert bears to your presence and prompt them to move without being noticed.
• Keep pets leashed and supervised.
• While camping, store food and cooking gear in bear-proof containers separate from your sleeping area. (Coolers are not bear-resistant!)
• What to do if you see a bear

In town:

• If a bear is sighted in town, leave the animal alone. In most situations, if left alone, the bear will return to the forest on its own.
• Keep dogs under control and clear the area.
• If a bear is in a densely populated area, contact the Environmental Police Radio Room at 1 (800) 632-8075 or the nearest MassWildlife District Office to report the sighting and get advice.

In the woods or in your backyard:

• Stay calm and back away slowly to give the bear plenty of room.
• Bears will sometimes “bluff charge” when cornered or threatened. Don’t run from a charging bear; speak calmly and slowly back away.

The best thing for people to do is educate themselves about bears and take action to prevent conflicts. Dave Wattles, MassWildlife’s Black Bear and Furbearer Biologist said, “As our bear population increases, people need to understand what it means to really co-exist with bears. People need to change their behavior because bears aren’t going to change theirs.” For more tips on living with black bears in Massachusetts, please visit mass.gov/bears

Learn more:

MassWildlife’s website contains a wealth of information about black bears in Massachusetts, including tips for residents, research projects, conservation and management efforts, and more.

Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife photo.

The New Bedford Police Department is investigating two overnight robberies just minutes apart.

The first robbery occurred at Cumberland Farms at 540 Dartmouth Street, in Dartmouth at approximately 2:00am. That specific Cumberland Farms is open 24 hours.

While police were investigating that robbery and talking to the clerk and eyewitnesses, a call came in from dispatch that the 7-Eleven at 1024 Cove Road.

Units arrived at the 7-Eleven and talked to the clerk and eyewitnesses to get a description of the robber to see if it matched that of the robber at Cumberland Farms. The clerk stated that the robber held him up at knifepoint. This 7-Eleven is a frequent target of robberies, the last one being in May when the clerk was assaulted and left bloodied. You can read that story, and see photos and video here.

At this time, New Bedford Police Department has not released a description and confirmed that the two crimes were related. This is an ongoing story.

Carlos Pimental Felix photo.

______________________________________________________________

UPDATE: “On Thursday, July 14, 2022 at approximately 1:59 a.m., members of the Dartmouth Police Department responded to a report of an unarmed robbery at the Cumberland Farms, located at #540 Dartmouth Street.

According to the clerk, a black male in this 30’s or 40’s with a thin build, wearing black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black hat, reached over the counter and stole money from within the register. After taking the money, the male fled the store, and was last seen running towards New Bedford.

As a result of the incident, the clerk, who attempted to block the man from reaching into the register, was transported to the hospital, where they were treated for a hand injury.

Dartmouth Police detectives are currently in the process of reviewing video of the incident.

Anyone with information regarding the robbery is encouraged to contact the Dartmouth Police Department Investigative Services Unit at 508-910-1775.” -Dartmouth Police Department.

Video by Carlos Pimental Felix:

“Defendant cyberstalked and sent death threats to ex-girlfriend and her family
BOSTON – A Connecticut man has agreed to plead guilty to threatening, harassing and intimidating a Massachusetts woman through social media and email.

Marshall Nicholas Fain, 31, of New Haven, Conn., has agreed to plead guilty to one count of cyberstalking and one count of transmitting threats through interstate commerce. Fain was arrested and charged on Feb. 2, 2022. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.

“The language used by this individual made his intent clear. Threats of violence, whether spoken, written, or transmitted over the internet, will not be tolerated. Domestic violence takes many forms. Verbal abuse and threats are one of them and can be precursors to escalated behaviors – like the stalking involved in this case – and, in some cases, physical abuse. Mr. Fain’s violent words landed him in this situation, and we will continue to prosecute threats of violence of any form,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins.

According to the charging documents, Fain was in a relationship with the victim for approximately two years, until the relationship ended in August 2021. Soon after, in September 2021 and continuing through December 2021, Fain sent the victim multiple private messages through email and social media threatening to kill the victim and members of her family.

According to the charging documents, Fain created multiple social media and email accounts which he used to harass and threaten the victim anonymously. Specifically, Fain used anonymous Instagram and Facebook accounts to send the victim messages that said, among other things, “I’ll kill you” and “You gonna get yours if it’s the last thing I do.” Fain also used anonymous email addresses to send the victim threatening messages that said, among other things, “I’m gonna find you and kill you if it’s the last thing I do,” “By now you know I don’t give a f*** about my own life so I really don’t mind taking yours,” and “When the time is right you gonna be one of the girls going missing. Ima torture the f*** out of you when I catch you.”

The charge of stalking by electronic means provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of transmitting threats through interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Haven Division, provided valuable assistance in the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Rollins Major Crimes Division is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.” -Massachusett Department of Justice.

“He’s far from a Monet but this guy decided to vandalize the Fairhaven High School on the night of July 12th at approximately 9:45 p.m.

The only thing he did right was match the yellow sneakers to his pants. They certainly stand out, don’t they!?

Someone must know this person who decided to write and draw some terrible things on a new area of the football field. Send us an anonymous message or leave a message at the police department for Officer Tavares at 508-997-7421, ext; 1103.” -Fairhaven Police Department.

Fairhaven Police Department photo.

Fairhaven Police Department photo.
Fairhaven Police Department photo.

“Chief Steve Murphy reports that the Hingham Fire Department extinguished a 4-alarm fire, at a large house, that spread to at least four other homes in the area Monday afternoon.

While the 6,000-square-foot house was a total loss and other homes sustained damage, no injuries were reported.

At approximately 12:50 p.m., Hingham Fire responded to 4 Mann St. after receiving multiple calls about a home being on fire.

While responding to the scene, firefighters could see large amounts of smoke above the house and struck a second alarm. Upon arrival, the house was fully involved and a third alarm was immediately called for. At 1:30 p.m., Chief Murphy struck a fourth alarm as the fire continued to spread.

Initially, because of the location of the home on top of a hill, firefighters had difficulty getting adequate water and had to stretch additional hose lines. In addition, high wind speeds caused the fire to quickly spread and also blew hot embers onto four other nearby homes. A home at 4 Mann St. sustained significant fire damage and the family will be displaced.

Three people were inside 2 Mann St. when the fire started and all got out safely. The family will also be displaced. Several homes in the area were evacuated as a precaution due the fire embers spreading to nearby houses.

The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation by the Hingham Fire Department, the Hingham Police Department and the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office.

Approximately 120 firefighters from nine communities responded to the scene, including firefighters from Hull, Cohasset, Norwell, Scituate, Rockland, Weymouth, Quincy, Braintree and Hanover. Fire chiefs from Brockton and Whitman also responded to provide assistance. The Abington Fire Department provided station coverage.

In additional, personnel from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Boston Sparks Association and ambulances from South Shore Hospital responded to the scene.

National Grid and Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant were working to restore gas and electricity to the neighborhood after it had been shut off by the utility companies.

“The windy conditions and size of the home made this a difficult fire to extinguish,” Chief Murphy said. “I am glad that no one was hurt and our hearts go out to the family that lost their home. I’d like to thank our mutual aid partners from neighboring departments who helped us extinguish the fire and prevent further property damage to other homes in the area.”

According to the Weir River Water System, residents may temporarily experience discolored water due to the fire.

Chief Murphy is also asking residents to please water down mulch beds on their properties if they live in the area of the fire.” -Hingham Fire Department.

All photos by Hanover and Hingha, Fire Departments:

“The Massachusetts State Police Museum and Learning Center, assisted by Department members, started their annual two week Junior Trooper Camp at Massachusetts State Police Headquarters yesterday.

The children taking part in Week 1 of the camp are in grades K-8 from the town of Abington. They will be able to see and ask questions of numerous State Police assets throughout the week.

Some of the units in attendance today are the MSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section (Truck Team), Mounted Unit, Drone Unit and Motorcycle Unit.” -Massachusetts State Police.

All photos by the Massachusetts State Police:

“A 29-year-old New Bedford man was convicted last Friday of Second Degree Murder in connection to the
August 2, 2015 shooting death of Jeffrey Silvia, Jr., Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Michael Sousa was convicted by a jury of his peers in Fall River Superior Court after a 13-day trial. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison by Judge Thomas McGuire. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Dennis Collins and Jason Mohan.

On August 2, 2015 at approximately 1:37 A.M., officers from the New Bedford Police Department responded to the area of 80 Rivet Street for the report of a gunshot. As the officers responded, they were updated by a civilian caller who indicated that there was a male on the ground who was bleeding. Once officers arrived, they located Jeffrey Silvia, Jr., 24, suffering from a single gunshot wound to his face. Officers attempted life-saving medical assistance, however, Mr. Silvia was pronounced deceased at the scene. In the immediate proximity to Mr. Silvia’s body, officers located one .40 caliber discharged shell casing, head-stamped “Winchester 40 S&W”. This was believed to be the single spent shell casing from the bullet that killed Mr. Silvia. The police also recovered one live .40 caliber bullet head-stamped “Winchester 40 S&W” next to Mr. Silvia’s body.

Bristol County District Attorney’s Office photo.

Officers cordoned off the area and began to canvass for witnesses and evidence. As a part of their investigation, the police wanted to question Michael Sousa because he was known to the New Bedford Police Department and his residence of 49 Acushnet Avenue was in close proximity to the scene of the murder. Investigating officers learned that Mr. Sousa was seen in a vehicle with Mr. Silvia only two to three minutes prior to the murder. Mr. Sousa was later questioned by the police and based on demonstrably false statements about his whereabouts and connection to Mr. Silvia, he was arrested for misleading a police investigation. Officers knew that Mr. Sousa was usually in the presence of his best friend Darian Cardoza who was also well known to the police.

Later in the morning, the witnesses and Mr. Sousa saw Darian Cardoza walking down the street while they were driving to a convenience store. They stopped and Mr. Cardoza entered the car. According to both civilian witnesses, Mr. Sousa and Mr. Cardoza admitted to their roles in the incident. Both men spoke about the victim being a heroin dealer that they were attempting to rob. Mr. Cardoza was supposed to grab the victim and Mr. Sousa was supposed to rob him at gunpoint. When the victim resisted the robbery, Mr. Sousa stated that he had to shoot the kid. When the witness asked if Mr. Sousa killed the victim, Mr. Sousa responded “I shot him in the face with a hollow tip, what do you think”. The witnesses also testified that they observed Mr. Sousa and Mr. Cardoza split approximately $3,000 in cash which they stated they stole from Mr. Silvia after Mr. Sousa shot him in the face. Mr. Cardoza received less money than Mr. Sousa because Mr. Sousa complained that he had to do all of the work.

As officers continued their investigation, they had reason to search the backyard of 26 Thompson Street in New Bedford. That address was an abandoned house located next door to a known associate of Mr. Sousa. In a recycling bin in the backyard, police officers located a .40 caliber S&W Glock model 23 semi-automatic firearm. That firearm was loaded with one live bullet in the magazine which was capable of holding fifteen rounds of ammunition. The live bullet in the .40 caliber Glock 23 was also a .40 caliber S&W round. Later in the investigation, investigating officers located witnesses who testified that they saw Mr. Sousa a short time after the murder where he confessed that he had just shot someone in the face. At the time, Mr. Sousa produced a firearm from his waistband and began to clean it. One of the witnesses saw Mr. Sousa disappear with the firearm into the backyard of 26 Thompson Street where the .40 caliber Glock 23 was later recovered.

Mr. Cardosa pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and received a 10-15 year sentence on January 25, 2019.

“This is another example of a senseless killing over drugs. Because of the pandemic and other legal issues, this case took a long time to bring to trial. I want to thank the family for their patience and perseverance during a very difficult time for them. I hope they have some consolation that the defendant is being held accountable for their loved ones death,” District Attorney Quinn said.” -Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.

A 45-year-old Coventry, RI man was sentenced Monday to 12 to 15 years in prison for shooting at police after breaking into a church building during rush hour on Newport Avenue in Attleboro nearly four years ago, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Eric Lindsey pleaded guilty in New Bedford Superior Court Monday afternoon to indictments charging him with armed assault with intent to murder, breaking and entering during the daytime, possession of a high capacity firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and two counts of carrying an illegal firearm.

On August 27, 2018, the Attleboro Police Department received a phone call from a pastor at the Assembly of God Church at 1052 Newport Avenue regarding an incident that had just occurred at his church. The pastor told the police that he had arrived at his church at approximately 6:30A.M. to retrieve a computer cable which he had left in his office. As he walked through his church, the pastor was surprised to see a man, later identified as this defendant, sitting in the foyer who was holding a firearm. After a brief conversation with the pastor, the defendant left the church with the gun and two backpacks. The pastor contacted police.

Coventry Police Department photo.

In response to the pastor’s phone call, the Attleboro Police Department dispatched several police officers in an attempt to locate the individual. The first two responding officers encountered the suspect on Newport Avenue and slowly drove past him. Due to the large volume of civilian cars on the streets because of the morning rush hour and the proximity of several restaurants and businesses in the area, both officers attempted a “U turn” of their cruisers to position themselves as they attempted to confront the suspect.

The first officer positioned his cruiser in between the suspect and the second officer’s cruiser, removed his seatbelt, drew his service weapon to his lap and cracked his cruiser’s door. He then got onto the cruiser PA system and told the suspect to stop and drop his backpack. As he did, the second officer observed that the suspect had switched one of the backpacks from his right hand to his left hand. When the first officer told the suspect to stop and drop the backpack, the suspect appeared to comply by stopping and dropping the backpack. Then, the suspect turned towards the first officer, extended his hands and began to fire a semi-automatic handgun directly at the officer. The first officer described bullets penetrating the driver’s side windshield and being hit in the face with broken glass. As the first officer dropped out of the driver’s side door, the suspect continued to fire at him with bullets penetrating the driver’s side headrest and seat where the officer had been sitting seconds before. As the first officer dropped from the cruiser, the cruiser remained in drive and began to slowly roll towards the suspect who was continuing to fire his handgun at the first officer.

The first officer then aimed his service weapon at the suspect and they both began to fire at each other. The first officer believed that at least one of his shots hit the suspect, but the suspect continued to fire his gun at him. As the suspect and the first officer continued to fire at each other, his police cruiser was still in drive and was rolling faster towards the suspect. That left the officer without cover as he was now only approximately fifteen to twenty feet from the suspect. The first officer sprinted from behind his cruiser towards the second officer’s cruiser for cover. As he ran, the suspect continued to fire aimed shots directly at him. The officer described that he could see the suspect firing at him and that the suspect was taking a second to pause between shots to deliberately aim at him.

The second officer also described the incident from his point of view. This officer stated that as he and the first officer passed the suspect on Newport Avenue that the suspect locked eyes with him. Based on the nature of the call, the second had released his M-4 service rifle from the locked holder in his cruiser as he drove to the call. As he and the first officer attempted their “U turns”, Officer he heard the first officer use his cruiser’s PA system to tell the suspect to stop and drop his bags. The second officer said that in response, the suspect turned and began to fire a handgun at the first officer. The second officer had his service rifle ready but could not fire due to the first officer being in the line of sight.

Once the first officer was clear, the second officer fired several rounds from his service rifle at the suspect. The suspect eventually fell to the ground and the firearm fell from his hand. At the time, the two officers could not determine if either had been shot. They checked each other out and determined that neither was shot but that the first officer had a laceration on his leg. Once other back up officers arrived, the two officers approached the suspect and noticed the suspect had serious injuries. The suspect repeatedly yelled for the officers to let him die. The two officer applied tourniquets to the suspect’s legs and offered other lifesaving medical assistance. The suspect’s femoral artery had been severed by one of the gunshots. One of the tourniquets applied to his leg stopped the bleeding and saved the suspects life. When the scene was secure, an ambulance arrived and took the suspect to Rhode Island Hospital. The two officers were also taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Prior to being taken to the hospital, the defendant was pat searched for weapons. The police found a knife in his shorts pocket which they removed. Directly in front of where the defendant had fallen, the police secured a .40 caliber Ruger semi-automatic handgun. The weapon was in the locked position and empty of ammunition. The magazine in the firearm was capable of holding fifteen rounds of ammunition making it a high-capacity firearm under Massachusetts law. Numerous discharged .40 caliber shell casings were also recovered from the area. When the police searched the two backpacks Mr. Lindsey had been carrying, they discovered a 9 mm semi-automatic Smith and Wesson handgun. This firearm was also a high-capacity firearm as it was loaded with fourteen bullets in the magazine.

In addition to the firearm, the police also recovered four AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle magazines. One of the AR-15 magazines was loaded with twenty-five rounds of 5.56mm ammunition and another was loaded with fourteen rounds of 5.56mm ammunition. Two AR-15 high-capacity magazines were empty. The police also discovered a .40 caliber Ruger semi-automatic magazine loaded with eight bullets, three boxes of .223 target ammunition with fifty-one bullets, a black case containing thirty-one 9mm Luger bullets and numerous other loose rounds of ammunition of .40 and 9mm calibers.

During Monday’s court hearing, Assistant District Attorney Jason Mohan argued that the defendant should serve a 15 to 20 year prison sentence. The defendant, through his attorney, requested a 10 to 15 year prison term. Judge Raffi Yessayan sentenced the defendant to serve 12 to 15 years in state prison, to be followed by five years of probation. The probation term will include GPS monitoring and mandatory mental health treatment.

“This defendant tried to kill two police officers after being caught breaking into a church building. The police put their lives on the line everyday responding to situations that can quickly turn violent and deadly, “ District Attorney Quinn said. “This defendant clearly had no regard for their lives and needs to be kept off the streets for a long time. The officers should be commended for quickly saving the defendant’s life, even after being fired upon by him.”

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn’s Untested Rape Kit Initiative has resulted in a second cold case rape arrest.

Dylan Ponte, 28, of New Bedford, has been arrested in connection to the cold case rape of a 16-year-old girl in New Bedford in July of 2012. The defendant is charged at this time with two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person under the age of 14.

On the night of July 3, 2012, the victim had been given alcohol, and was drinking with the defendant and others in the area of the Hayden-McFadden School. The victim told police at the time that she blacked out between 1 am and 7 am on July 4th. The victim woke up outside her friend’s home around 7 am on July 4, 2012. When she woke up outside the house, she had no underwear on, had bruising on multiple areas of her body and was experiencing pain in multiple private areas of her body.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn photo.

The victim immediately went to the hospital with her friend and New Bedford Police were contacted. While at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford on July 4, 2012, the victim submitted to a rape kit. That kit was one of more than 1,100 from Bristol County alone that was never fully tested by the state lab. However, after our office became aware of the scope and breadth of the problem with untested rape kits in Bristol County and throughout the state, we took action to obtain a federal grant. We then began the painstaking process of inventorying and prioritizing all untested rape kits in our county, and are now in the process of getting all 1,148 previously untested Bristol County rape kits fully tested by a private lab under the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) grant obtained by District Attorney Quinn in 2019.

In May of this year, the rape kit connected to this case was tested and resulted in the recovery of a DNA profile, which in turn resulted in a CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) hit to Dylan Ponte. The defendant was in the CODIS system due to being arrested multiple times in the summer and fall of 2020 in Marion County, Florida on domestic assault and battery, and obstruction charges. He was eventually convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery in April 2021. As part of his plea in Florida, he agreed to submit DNA. If this victim’s rape kit had been fully tested, this case could have been solved more than a year ago. Furthermore, if District Attorney Quinn had not undertaken this initiative and brought this issue to light statewide, the kit would likely never have been fully tested and the case would have remained unsolved. The statute of limitations on this case would have expired in July 2027. This is now the second cold case rape our office has solved as a result of District Attorney Quinn’s Untested Rape Kit Initiative. We are optimistic that even more case will soon be solved thanks to our initiative.

“I am extremely pleased that our rape kit testing initiative has already resulted in two cold case rapes being solved from more than a decade ago. Both these cases demonstrate the importance of fully testing all sexual assault kits. If we did not obtain the grant to have all these kits fully tested, this case may never have been solved and the statute of limitations could have expired,” District Attorney Quinn said. “Victims who have been sexually assaulted have gone through a very traumatic experience and have a right to have these kits fully tested, especially when an assailant cannot be identified.”

When informed about the criminal charges and the underlying issues regarding untested rape kits throughout the state, the victim in this case expressed immense gratitude and relief. She is fully on board with the prosecution and looks forward to the culmination of this case.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn photo.

After the official criminal complaint related to this case was filed last Thursday in New Bedford District Court, the defendant was tracked down by members of New Bedford Police and the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitives Apprehension Section on Friday in New Bedford. The defendant briefly appeared in court on Friday afternoon, where a district court judge found him to be a danger but set bail at $1,000 cash with conditions. The defendant is due back in New Bedford District Court on August 10.

The first case of criminal charges related to District Attorney Quinn’s Untested Rape Kit Initiative was announced by our office on May 6, 2022. In that case, Scot Trudeau, 47, of Worcester was indicted by a Bristol County Grand Jury on charges of Aggravated Rape and Assault and Battery connected to the cold case 2010 rape of a woman in New Bedford.

On March 18, 2010, a 23-year-old woman was walking along Coffin Avenue in the north end of New Bedford when she was violently attacked by two men. She was struck in the head and then dragged to a secluded area, where one of the men (this defendant) raped her while the other one held her down. She could not see or identify them because they were wearing hooded sweatshirts. She gave a description of them to the police and was taken to St Luke’s Hospital for treatment. While at the hospital, the victim submitted to a sex assault evidence collection kit (Rape Kit). However, that kit was never fully tested by the state lab and was only discovered thanks to our office’s Untested Rape Kit Initiative.

In February of 2022, the rape kit connected to the Trudeau case was tested and resulted in the recovery of a DNA profile, which in turn resulted in a CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) hit to Scot Trudeau, 47, of Worcester. If this victim’s rape kit had been fully tested in 2010, it would have matched to the defendant’s DNA sample provided after his federal conviction in 2015 for child sexual exploitation. Furthermore, if we had not undertaken this initiative and brought this issue to light statewide, the kit would likely never have been fully tested and the case would have remained unsolved. The statute of limitations on this case would have expired in March 2025.

The revelation that so many rape kits throughout the state were not being fully tested began shortly after a defendant by the name of John Loflin was convicted in late 2013 for the cold case 2002 murder of Marlene Rose in New Bedford. Loflin had previously been charged with a 1997 New Bedford rape, but the case was eventually dismissed after the alleged victim left the country. The alleged victim in that case submitted to a rape kit. That rape kit was sent up to the state lab three weeks after the rape, but unbeknownst to law enforcement, it had never been fully tested. After Marlene Rose was murdered in 2002, DNA evidence was collected and sent to the state lab for testing.

If the 1997 rape kit had been fully tested at the time, the Marlene Rose DNA evidence would have matched to that 1997 case and Loflin would have been arrested in connection to the Marlene Rose homicide. Instead, Loflin was not identified as the murderer of Rose until 2011 when he was arrested in Tennessee on unrelated charges. Loflin was compelled by Tennessee law to provide a DNA sample as a result of his criminal charges in that state. Once that DNA sample was uploaded to CODIS, it immediately matched with the 2002 DNA evidence connected to the murder of Marlene Rose. Loflin was then charged here in Bristol County with Marlene Rose’s murder and was eventually convicted and sentenced to life in prison in November of 2013.

After learning about the 1997 rape case and discovering that the rape kit in that case had never been tested, our office began looking into other cold case rapes and attempted to determine whether there were other rape kits that were also not fully tested by the state lab. District Attorney Quinn poured a number of resources and man hours into this review. After inventorying many rape kits from all 20 of Bristol County’s cities and towns, it began to become clear that there were a great deal of rape kits that were not being fully tested. Our office then researched and applied for the federal SAKI grant. In October of 2018, our office was notified that our grant application was approved and that federal grant money would be awarded. In June of 2019, the federal grant money was deposited into the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office account. We immediately used that grant money to hire a retired Massachusetts State Police detective to assist staff members in our office with training, inventorying and prioritizing the untested rape kits. Our office is the first District Attorney’s office in the state to undertake this large-scale initiative and obtain the federal grant program.

After numerous delays due to Covid-19 and other issues with the state lab, the first batches of prioritized untested rape kits were sent to a private lab (Bode Laboratories) for testing in April of 2021. Although the testing got off to a slow start, we have been informed that all 1,148 previously untested rape kits will likely be fully tested by the private lab by the end of this year. Our office is optimistic that other cold case sexual assaults and other crimes will be solved as a result of this initiative.

“During the investigation of a cold case homicide we discovered that more than 1,100 rape kits in our county had not been fully tested by the state lab. This was totally unacceptable, especially for victims, the public and law enforcement who believed these kits were being fully tested. I immediately dedicated office resources so that every rape kit would now be fully tested to help identify perpetrators who had remained uncharged,” District Attorney Quinn said. “I am optimistic there are other cases that will be solved as a result of our rape kit initiative. Our office discovered a major problem, took action and devoted an immense amount of resources to it, and is now in the process of solving it.”