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Police & Fire
Former Resident Accused Of Setting Fire To Franklin Home, Killing Two Cats: State Former Resident Accused Of Setting Fire To Franklin Home, Killing Two Cats: State
Former Resident Accused Of Setting Fire To Franklin Home, Killing Two Cats: State A former Franklin resident is accused of setting fire to a home on Maple Street, a blaze that caused major damage and killed two cats. Melissa Brown, 48, was arrested Tuesday morning, March 31, by State Police fire investigators with help from the State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section.  The fire happened on Nov. 1 at a 338 Maple Street home, according to State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine and Franklin Fire Chief Charles Allen. Brown is charged with arson of a dwelling. Neighbors first reported smoke and flames around 5:45 p.m. Fire crews arrived to find heavy fire comi…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
He Was Killed By Quadruple Amputee Cornhole Player, Cops Say: Now Family Is Taking Action He Was Killed By Quadruple Amputee Cornhole Player, Cops Say: Now Family Is Taking Action
He Was Killed By Quadruple Amputee Cornhole Player, Cops Say: Now Family Is Taking Action Friends and loved ones are hoping to "turn pain into purpose" to honor Bradrick Michael Wells after a quadruple amputee cornhole player in Maryland gunned the 27-year-old down. The Waldorf resident is being remembered as a "son, friend, and someone who brought so much light to everyone who knew him," after he was killed, allegedly by Dayton James Webber, 27, during an argument. "Brad’s life was tragically taken by gun violence, leaving an emptiness in our lives that can never be filled," loved ones wrote. Webber was arrested in Charlottesville, Virginia, and held behind bars following the …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
'I Killed My Wife': Mass Man Who Admitted Wife's Fatal Shooting In 911 Call Denied Bail 'I Killed My Wife': Mass Man Who Admitted Wife's Fatal Shooting In 911 Call Denied Bail
'I Killed My Wife': Mass Man Who Admitted Wife's Fatal Shooting In 911 Call Denied Bail A deadly shooting inside a Western Massachusetts 55-plus community has left one woman dead and a man charged with murder. The violence unfolded Friday night, March 27, along Daniel Shays Highway in Belchertown. Police say the case is still under active investigation. Mark Opper, 56, appeared in Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday morning. He faces charges of murder and assault and battery on a family or household member. A judge ordered him held without the right to bail, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said.  According to court documents, the case began with a 911 …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Feds Foil Man's Molotov Cocktail Attack On Palestinian Activist: DOJ Feds Foil Man's Molotov Cocktail Attack On Palestinian Activist: DOJ
Feds Foil Man's Molotov Cocktail Attack On Palestinian Activist: DOJ A 26-year-old Hoboken man has been arrested and charged after being found in possession of Molotov cocktails with plans to target a Palestinian activist, federal officials announced Friday, March 27. Alexander Heifler was planning to use the improvised incendiary devices targeting another person's residence, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer said. He is charged with unlawful possession of destructive devices and one count of making destructive devices, Frazer said. Nerdeen Kiswani, the co-founder of Within our Lifetime, said she was the planned target of Heifler's attack in a post on X. "La…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Western Mass Jan. 6 Rioter Pardoned By Trump Sentenced After Trove Of Child Porn Found: Police Western Mass Jan. 6 Rioter Pardoned By Trump Sentenced After Trove Of Child Porn Found: Police
Western Mass Jan. 6 Rioter Pardoned By Trump Sentenced After Trove Of Child Porn Found: Police A Massachusetts man pardoned for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot will still head to prison, but this time it's because agents found him hoarding a massive trove of child pornography, federal authorities said.  Daniel Tocci, 31, of Amherst, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography after investigators found more than 110,000 illicit images on his devices, according to the US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. A judge sentenced him to four years in prison.  The case began in January 2023 during a traffic stop in Hadley. A local officer recognized Tocci from…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Western Mass Man Admits To Trying To Kill Trump Cabinet Member With Molotov Cocktails Western Mass Man Admits To Trying To Kill Trump Cabinet Member With Molotov Cocktails
Western Mass Man Admits To Trying To Kill Trump Cabinet Member With Molotov Cocktails A Massachusetts man admitted in federal court that he brought weapons to the U.S. Capitol with the intent of killing one of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees, authorities said. Ryan “Reiley” Michael English, 24, of South Deerfield, pleaded guilty on Friday, March 27, to federal charges linked to the plot as part of a plea deal, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia announced. A judge will sentence him on Aug. 14, 2026. Prosecutors said English arrived at the Capitol with a knife and Molotov cocktails that he intended to use to kill a presidential Cabinet nominee on Jan. 27,…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Fitness Influencer Shown Hitting Dog In Viral Video, Arrested After Outrage Fitness Influencer Shown Hitting Dog In Viral Video, Arrested After Outrage
Fitness Influencer Shown Hitting Dog In Viral Video, Arrested After Outrage A Connecticut fitness influencer accused in a disturbing animal cruelty case turned himself in to police after a video of him abusing his dogs spread widely online earlier this month.  Michael Gerchy surrendered to the Glastonbury police on Friday, March 27, on charges of cruelty to animals and violation of a protective order, officials said. He was being held on a $250,000 bond.  The case gained national attention on March 12, when investigators first learned about a video circulating on social media that showed Gerchy violently assaulting one of his dogs at a home…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Teen Killed With 73-Pound Rock: Man Guilty In Brutal Plymouth Cold Case After Nearly 40 Years Teen Killed With 73-Pound Rock: Man Guilty In Brutal Plymouth Cold Case After Nearly 40 Years
Teen Killed With 73-Pound Rock: Man Guilty In Brutal Plymouth Cold Case After Nearly 40 Years A man who killed a 15-year-old girl by dropping a 73-pound rock on her head has been found guilty in a decades-old cold case. Michael Hand, now 69, formerly of Kingston, was convicted on Tuesday, March 24, of first-degree murder in the 1986 killing of Tracy Gilpin, the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office announced. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors said Gilpin died from multiple skull fractures after Hand crushed her head with the rock at  Myles Standish State Forest in 1986. Police found her buried beneath debris with no pants and her underwear…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Police Shoot, Kill Armed Man During Central Mass Confrontation; DA Launches Investigation Police Shoot, Kill Armed Man During Central Mass Confrontation; DA Launches Investigation
Police Shoot, Kill Armed Man During Central Mass Confrontation; DA Launches Investigation Authorities have opened an investigation into a fatal central Massachusetts police shooting that left a 22-year-old man dead earlier this week. Police officers arrived at a Westminster home on South Ashburnham Road around 4:42 p.m. on Monday, March 23, to serve an arrest warrant on a 22-year-old Westminster resident, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said. Authorities have not released the man's name or the reason they were arresting him.   Authorities said the man met officers while holding a large knife, and when he moved toward them, they opened fire, officials sa…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Quadruple Amputee Asked Friends To Pull Murder Victim From Car After Shooting Him Dead: Cops Quadruple Amputee Asked Friends To Pull Murder Victim From Car After Shooting Him Dead: Cops
Quadruple Amputee Asked Friends To Pull Murder Victim From Car After Shooting Him Dead: Cops A quadruple amputee and professional cornhole player was arrested in Virginia after allegedly shooting and killing a 27-year-old man during an argument in Maryland on Sunday night.  Dayton James Webber, 27, is being held in Charlottesville, pending his extradition back to Charles County, in connection to the murder of Waldorf resident Bradrick Michael Wells on March 22, according to the sheriff's office.  About Dayton Webber Webber is a quadruple amputee and professional cornhole player who often shares videos of himself hunting, fishing, and shooting a crossbow to his more than 1…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Framingham Ex-Doctor Raped, Sexually Assaulted 11 More Patients, Faces New Charges: DA Framingham Ex-Doctor Raped, Sexually Assaulted 11 More Patients, Faces New Charges: DA
Framingham Ex-Doctor Raped, Sexually Assaulted 11 More Patients, Faces New Charges: DA A former Massachusetts physician has been indicted on multiple sex assault charges after prosecutors say he preyed on patients during medical visits. Derrick Todd, 52, of Wayland, was indicted this week on three counts of rape and 17 counts of indecent assault and battery, the Middlesex County District Attorney said. The charges involve 11 adult women who were patients at Charles River Medical Associates in Framingham.   The alleged assaults happened between 2021 and 2023 while Todd worked as a rheumatologist and primary care physician.  Related: Framingham Doctor Acc…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Haverhill Deli Stabbing: Man Who Said ‘Going To Stab Someone Today’ Gets Prison Time Haverhill Deli Stabbing: Man Who Said ‘Going To Stab Someone Today’ Gets Prison Time
Haverhill Deli Stabbing: Man Who Said ‘Going To Stab Someone Today’ Gets Prison Time A man who walked into a local deli and stabbed two seniors has now been sentenced to up to a decade in state prison, authorities said.  Brian Scrooc, 38, of Haverhill, pleaded guilty in connection with the violent attack inside Mark’s Deli on April 26, 2025, according to Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker. Prosecutors say the attack was sudden, brutal, and random.  Assistant District Attorney Michael Sheehan told the court that Scrooc entered the restaurant with a knife and began stabbing a man over 60 who was eating breakfast with a friend. When the second man tried t…

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by Josh Lanier