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Berkshire County District Attorney's Office

Police & Fire
Mass. Hammer Murderer Gets Life In Prison For Killing Sleeping Wife: DA Mass. Hammer Murderer Gets Life In Prison For Killing Sleeping Wife: DA
Mass. Hammer Murderer Gets Life In Prison For Killing Sleeping Wife: DA A Massachusetts man who beat his estranged wife to death with a hammer as she slept will spend at least the next 25 years in prison, authorities said.  Michael A. Cook Sr., of North Adams in Berkshire Country, was convicted of second-degree murder last week and was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday, Oct. 10, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office said. However, he will be eligible for parole in 25 years.  Charli Cook, a 41-year-old CNA at the former Willowood Health Care Center, was asleep when Michael Cook broke into her North Adams home in July 2019 and hit h…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Veteran, Great-Grandfather ID'd As Victim In Fatal Western Mass Motorcycle Crash Veteran, Great-Grandfather ID'd As Victim In Fatal Western Mass Motorcycle Crash
Veteran, Great-Grandfather ID'd As Victim In Fatal Western Mass Motorcycle Crash A 75-year-old Berkshire County man was identified as the victim of a fatal motorcycle crash last week, authorities said.  Al Salvatore, of Pittsfield, was riding his Harley Davidson with his friend in Lanesborough on Sunday, Sept. 1, when he collided with an SUV, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office said.  Salvatore was driving east on Route 7 onto the Route 8 connector when his bike crossed the double yellow line and into the path of an oncoming SUV, the prosecutor's office said. He died at the scene. Salvatore was born in Pittsfield and graduated from Wahco…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing Child In Berkshire County Busted In Florida: DA Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing Child In Berkshire County Busted In Florida: DA
Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing Child In Berkshire County Busted In Florida: DA A 43-year-old man was arrested in Florida and returned to Berkshire County to face charges that he molested a child, authorities said.  Omar Soto-Rincon was arraigned in Pittsfield earlier this week on the charge of indecent assault and battery on a person under 14, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office said.  Prosecutors could not release any information about the alleged assault to protect the victim's identity.  Soto-Rincon was being held on a $5,000 bond, officials said.  He was arrested in Broward County, Florida. 

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by Josh Lanier
News
Shooter Gets Life In Prison For Murder Of Mother Of 2 Stephanie Olivieri In Western Mass Shooter Gets Life In Prison For Murder Of Mother Of 2 Stephanie Olivieri In Western Mass
Shooter Gets Life In Prison For Murder Of Mother Of 2 Stephanie Olivieri In Western Mass A 30-year-old man who was found guilty of the August 2019 killing of Stephanie Olivieri, a mother, in her car in Berkshire County was sentenced to life in prison, authorities announced on Tuesday, June 18. Police found several gifts and decorations in Oliveri's vehicle as she was preparing to celebrate one of her two children's birthday.  Tyler Sumner, of North Adams, was found guilty on May 31 of first-degree murder and possession of ammunition without FID card, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office said.  Pittsfield police responded to 66 South John Street, where …

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by Josh Lanier
News
Western Mass Man With History Of Sending Explicit Messages To Children Gets 5 Years In Prison Western Mass Man With History Of Sending Explicit Messages To Children Gets 5 Years In Prison
Western Mass Man With History Of Sending Explicit Messages To Children Gets 5 Years In Prison A Berkshire County man with a history of sexually exploiting children has admitted to filming an 11-year-old in the nude on a social media app, authorities said.  Tom Nelson, 38, of Williamstown, pleaded guilty to posing/exhibiting a child in the nude, posing/exhibiting a child in a sexual act, and dissemination of matter harmful to minors — his second offense, the Berkshire County. District Attorney said.  The prosecutor requested a 10-year prison sentence for the three charges, but the judge sentenced him to 5 years behind bars.  Berkshire County DA Timothy J. Shugrue…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
No Bail For Man Accused Of Killing Ryan Babcock In Western Mass No Bail For Man Accused Of Killing Ryan Babcock In Western Mass
No Bail For Man Accused Of Killing Ryan Babcock In Western Mass A 38-year-old Berkshire County man has been arrested and charged with the fatal shooting of Ryan Babcock on Tuesday, June 11, in Pittsfield, authorities said.  Jeremy Stanton, of Pittsfield, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with murder, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office said. Stanton pleaded not guilty, and a judge ordered him held without bail.  Related: ''My Heart Is Broken': Ryan Babcock ID'd As Victim In Pittsfield Fatal Shooting Police arrested Stanton at a home in Worthington in Hampshire County on an outstanding probation violation warrant and assault wi…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
New York Man Busted Driving To See Western Mass Child He Met Online: DA New York Man Busted Driving To See Western Mass Child He Met Online: DA
New York Man Busted Driving To See Western Mass Child He Met Online: DA A 62-year-old New York man was arrested on Thursday, May 30, in Berkshire County as he was on his way to meet a teenager he was speaking with online, authorities said.  David Stypa was charged with two counts of disseminating obscene material to a minor and attempting to commit a crime, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office said. He was ordered held on a $100,000 bond.  Investigators said Stypa was speaking with the Pittsfield teen — who was younger than 16 — on multiple platforms.  Police are still investigating. The district attorney's office did not release any …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Western Mass Man Who Swindled $300K In Unfinished Construction Projects Gets Up To 10 Years Western Mass Man Who Swindled $300K In Unfinished Construction Projects Gets Up To 10 Years
Western Mass Man Who Swindled $300K In Unfinished Construction Projects Gets Up To 10 Years A Berkshire County man who was found guilty of swindling more than a dozen homeowners and at least one fire department out of hundreds of thousands of dollars for construction work he never completed will spend up to the next decade behind bars, authorities said.  Fred Senter, of Pittsfield, was found guilty of five counts of larceny Over $250 from a victim over 60 years of age, 19 counts of theft of over $1,200, stealing less than $1,200, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office said.  A judge sentenced him to eight to 10 years in prison. The prosecutor had asked for an 18…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Friends Remember Western Mass Man After Remains Found At Cemetery Friends Remember Western Mass Man After Remains Found At Cemetery
Friends Remember Western Mass Man After Remains Found At Cemetery Authorities announced they had identified the remains found near a cemetery in Berkshire County as a 47-year-old area native. Friends said he was a kind and loving person.  Sascha Cameron's body was found by a dog walker 20 feet from Mahaiwe Cemetery in Great Barrington on February 23, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday, March 8. An autopsy was performed to identify the remains.   Cameron leaves behind a son, according to his Facebook posts.  Cameron said in social media posts that he is a native of Great Barrington. People who knew him said he was a good f…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Western Mass Woman, 66, ID'd As Body Found In Berkshire Mountains 3 Months After She Vanished Western Mass Woman, 66, ID'd As Body Found In Berkshire Mountains 3 Months After She Vanished
Western Mass Woman, 66, ID'd As Body Found In Berkshire Mountains 3 Months After She Vanished Authorities in Berkshire County have identified the remains of a woman found on Lenox Mountain as a 66-year-old who disappeared in October.  Susan Lockwood, of Lenox, vanished on Oct. 30, 2023, and despite multiple searches since then, her body was not found, Lenox police said. A specialized group of troopers and K9 units returned to the mountains in Lenox last week and located human remains.  The Berkshire County District Attorney's Office confirmed on Thursday, Feb. 15, that those remains belong to Lockwood.  A new round of searches was sparked on Friday, Feb. 9, when a ma…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Admits To Raping Child For Decade In Pittsfield, Gets Up To 10 Years In Prison: DA Man Admits To Raping Child For Decade In Pittsfield, Gets Up To 10 Years In Prison: DA
Man Admits To Raping Child For Decade In Pittsfield, Gets Up To 10 Years In Prison: DA A 42-year-old Berkshire County man who this week admitted to raping a child multiple times for nearly a decade was sentenced to up to 10 years behind bars, authorities said.  Dean Giftos, of Pittsfield, pleaded guilty on Monday, Nov. 20, to two counts of rape of a child with force and four counts of rape of a child, aggravated by age difference, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office said.  The judge sentenced Giftos to seven to 10 years in prison with three years probation after he's released, the prosecutor said. He's not allowed to have contact with minors and must att…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Plainfield Man Busted Sending Sexual Messages To 'Child' On Facebook: DA Plainfield Man Busted Sending Sexual Messages To 'Child' On Facebook: DA
Plainfield Man Busted Sending Sexual Messages To 'Child' On Facebook: DA A 49-year-old Plainfield man who thought he was preying on a 14-year-old girl on Facebook was, in truth, talking to an undercover officer in Berkshire County.  Jamie Wooldridge was arrested earlier this month and charged with dissemination of matter harmful to a minor and enticing a child under 16, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office said. He had been in contact with a North Adams police officer posing as a child for more than a year before his bust. Related: Pittsfield Man Sent Nudes To What He Thought Was 14-Year-Old Girl Police say Woolridge contacted the undercover a…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Springfield To Berkshire Drug Route: DA Says Conviction Proves Narcotics Trade Springfield To Berkshire Drug Route: DA Says Conviction Proves Narcotics Trade
Springfield To Berkshire Drug Route: DA Says Conviction Proves Narcotics Trade A Western Massachusetts man who pleaded guilty to dealing drugs proves there's a growing amount of drugs moving from Springfield into Berkshire County, the Berkshire district attorney announced following the verdict.  Hampden County resident Quentin Harris, of Springfield, was sentenced on Tuesday, Oct. 24 to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to gun and drug charges following his arrest in August 2022. An investigation into Harris began in August 2022 by the North Adams Police and the Berkshire County Drug Task Force into a potential drug dealing operation being run out …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Tractor-Trailer Driver Gets Jail Time For Fatal Mass Pike Crash Tractor-Trailer Driver Gets Jail Time For Fatal Mass Pike Crash
Tractor-Trailer Driver Gets Jail Time For Fatal Mass Pike Crash A 70-year-old tractor-trailer driver from Connecticut will spend time in prison for his role in a crash on the Massachusetts Turnpike that left a man dead.  Hartford County resident Stanley Kardys, age 70, of West Granby, was sentenced to 90 days in jail for his role in an April 2021 crash in Berkshire County that killed 69-year-old Gary Litwin of Ludlow, the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday, Oct. 4.  Earlier Report - CT Man Facing Charges After Fatal Mass Turnpike Crash According to the DA's Office, on April 23, 2021, just be…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
State Police Shoot, Kill Man After 911 Call In Western Mass State Police Shoot, Kill Man After 911 Call In Western Mass
State Police Shoot, Kill Man After 911 Call In Western Mass State police killed a man in the Berkshire County town of Hancock Saturday morning, Sept. 9, following a 911 call.  The call came in just before 7 a.m., and police responded to a home on Richmond Road, state police said. It is unclear who made the call to authorities or why.  During an "interaction" with a man at that address, a police officer fired his service weapon and fatally wounded the man, police said.  State police have released few details beyond that, asking that all questions go through the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office as they are handling the inves…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
(UPDATED) Toddler Drowned In River As Dad Ran Away From Western Mass Car Crash: Police (UPDATED) Toddler Drowned In River As Dad Ran Away From Western Mass Car Crash: Police
(Updated) Toddler Drowned In River As Dad Ran Away From Western Mass Car Crash: Police THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE NEW CHARGES A preliminary police investigation suggests that a 2-year-old boy who died on Saturday, April 8, drowned after his father lost him while trying to run away from a car crash in Berkshire County, officials said.  Darel A. Galorenzo, age 35, of Readsboro, Vermont, is charged with manslaughter, reckless endangerment of a child, driving under the influence, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle, Massachusetts State Police said. He is being held on a $100,000 bond.  Galorenzo is alleged to have crashed his 2015 Subaru Cro…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Former Olympian Arraigned On Charges Of Molesting Boys In The Berkshires Former Olympian Arraigned On Charges Of Molesting Boys In The Berkshires
Former Olympian Arraigned On Charges Of Molesting Boys In The Berkshires A former Olympian in track and field has been indicted on 12 counts of indecent assault and battery in connection with complaints that the abuse took place at a camp for boys in Western Massachusetts. Berkshire County District Attorney Andrea Harrington announced on Tuesday, March 16, that 69-year-old Conrad Mainwaring, who was residing in Los Angeles, was arrested as he left a California courthouse on a fugitive from justice warrant. Mainwaring, a track coach, had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on the charges.  The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office previously obtained the …

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by Kathy Reakes