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A 34-year-old New Bedford woman, charged with murder in the March 2022 New Bedford homicide of 62-year-old Kevin Stoughton, has been deemed incompetent to stand trial at this time and has been civilly committed.
Chelsea Pimentel was arrested in late March by Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to this office and New Bedford Police. She was charged with Murder, Assault & Battery Household Member, and Assault & Battery.
On March 28 at around 1 pm, the Fairhaven Police Department contacted New Bedford Police requesting a wellness check at 39 North Sixth Street following a report the parents of the defendant made to Fairhaven Police. The defendant had apparently contacted her mother that morning to say a man had died in her presence at that address.
When police arrived on scene, they located the deceased male victim, identified as Kevin Stoughton. The victim resided at the apartment and the defendant had apparently been staying there with him for a time.
After further investigation by state police detectives assigned to this office, New Bedford Police and officials from the state medical examiner’s office, it was determined on March 29th that the victim had died as a result of homicide. At that point, the defendant was formally arrested and charged.
A competency hearing was held in Fall River Superior Court on November 4th. Yesterday, Judge Raffi Yessayan found the defendant not competent to stand trial at this time, and ordered her civilly committed to the Worcester State Hospital for a period of six months. After the six months, the defendant will be reevaluated, at which time she will either be determined to be competent to stand trial or be civilly committed for a full year. If the latter occurs, her case will be called back into court yearly to determine if there has been any change in her competency status.
