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Gilgo Beach Murders: New Images Of 'Asian Doe' Released In Effort To ID Male Victim Gilgo Beach Murders: New Images Of 'Asian Doe' Released In Effort To ID Male Victim
Gilgo Beach Murders: New Images Of 'Asian Doe' Released In Effort To ID Male Victim Investigators are hoping newly released images will lead to the identification of another victim in the Gilgo Beach serial murders. On Long Island, the Gilgo Beach Task Force distributed facial reconstructions of who they've long referred to as "Asian Doe" during a press conference in Brentwood on Monday morning, Sept. 16. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said the man’s skeletal remains were found along Ocean Parkway in Gilgo Beach on April 4, 2011, though it’s believed he “suffered a violent death” sometime before 2006. Earlier Report: Heuermann Used 'Planning Doc' …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Accused Murderer Ranted About Pronouns, Trump Before Ex-Wife, Her BF Were Slain In NY Home Accused Murderer Ranted About Pronouns, Trump Before Ex-Wife, Her BF Were Slain In NY Home
Accused Murderer Ranted About Pronouns, Trump Before Ex-Wife, Her BF Were Slain In NY Home New details are offering insight into the mind of an accused murderer just hours before he allegedly gunned down his ex-wife and her boyfriend inside their New York home. The Long Island killings happened in St. James, at a residence on Brasswood Road, at around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28. Suffolk County Police said Daniel Coppola, age 50, put his 15-year-old daughter into his car before going inside and shooting his ex-wife, 50-year-old Kelly Coppola, and her boyfriend, 53-year-old Kenneth Pohlman. Earlier Report: Man Kills Ex-Wife, Her BF At St. James Home, Police Say Both vic…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
'This Was An Avoidable Crash': Driver Admits To Fatal Charlemont Motorcycle Wreck 'This Was An Avoidable Crash': Driver Admits To Fatal Charlemont Motorcycle Wreck
'This Was An Avoidable Crash': Driver Admits To Fatal Charlemont Motorcycle Wreck A 39-year-old Berkshire County woman admitted to causing a 2023 crash that killed a Franklin County motorcyclist, authorities said on Tuesday, July 30.  Melissa Repka, of North Adams, pleaded guilty to motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation on Tuesday, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. A judge sentenced her to two-and-a-half years in prison, though she will only spend nine months behind bars. The remainder was suspended, as she serves two years of probation, the prosecutor said.  Repka was driving her 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee east on Rout…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
No Jail Time For Ex-Mass. Officer Who Punched Handcuffed Man 13 Times: Feds No Jail Time For Ex-Mass. Officer Who Punched Handcuffed Man 13 Times: Feds
No Jail Time For Ex-Mass. Officer Who Punched Handcuffed Man 13 Times: Feds A former Weymouth police officer who was caught on video camera beating a handcuffed suspect will not serve any jail time, federal authorities said.  Justin Chappell, 43, was sentenced to two years of supervised release, with the first six months to be spent under house arrest, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said on Tuesday, July 16. He must also complete 40 hours of community service each year of his supervised release.  Chappell pleaded guilty in May to a single count of deprivation of rights under color of law, the prosecutor said.  The assault happened on July 2,…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Ex-Boston Prosecutor Gets 5-10 Years For 2021 Rape; Victim Says Her Life Full Of Fear, Paranoia Ex-Boston Prosecutor Gets 5-10 Years For 2021 Rape; Victim Says Her Life Full Of Fear, Paranoia
Ex-Boston Prosecutor Gets 5-10 Years For 2021 Rape; Victim Says Her Life Full Of Fear, Paranoia Gary Zerola, a well-known Boston defense attorney who served as a former prosecutor in Suffolk and Essex counties, was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of 2021 rape, authorities said.  Zerola, 52, of Salem, was found guilty last month after prosecutors said he broke into a 21-year-old woman's home in the middle of the night and sexually assaulted her.  He had been accused and acquitted of several rapes in 2008, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said.  Zerola's victim submitted a letter to the court explaining how her life has chang…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Springfield School Security Guard An Alleged Gun Trafficker; DA Blasts Judge's Bail Ruling Springfield School Security Guard An Alleged Gun Trafficker; DA Blasts Judge's Bail Ruling
Springfield School Security Guard An Alleged Gun Trafficker; DA Blasts Judge's Bail Ruling The Hampden District Attorney slammed a judge's decision to set the bail for an alleged gun trafficker at just $10,000 after prosecutors had asked for $50,000.  Pablo Correa, 44, was arrested on July 2 and charged with six counts of carrying a firearm and ammunition without a license, five counts of possession of a large capacity firearm or feeding device, and two counts of defacing a serial number on a firearm, the district attorney's office said.  Correa serves as a security guard at the Springfield High School of Science and Technology, where he's worked since 2021. He was plac…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
'Barbaric Attack': 2 Men Who Burned Victim During Springfield Home Invasion Sentenced 'Barbaric Attack': 2 Men Who Burned Victim During Springfield Home Invasion Sentenced
'Barbaric Attack': 2 Men Who Burned Victim During Springfield Home Invasion Sentenced Two men found guilty of torturing and permanently disfiguring a Springfield man during a 2019 home invasion were sentenced to decades in prison on Thursday, June 27, authorities said.  Paul Gayle, 30, and Malik Erskine, 24, both of Springfield, were found guilty of multiple violent felonies in the "barbaric attack," Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. Markendall Johnson, now 21, who was charged as a youthful offender because of his age on the day of the robbery, was also convicted in the case. Gayle was sentenced to 35 to 40 years in state prison, and a judge gave …

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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
Springfield Officer Shot In Head May Lose Vision In 1 Eye: Police Springfield Officer Shot In Head May Lose Vision In 1 Eye: Police
Springfield Officer Shot In Head May Lose Vision In 1 Eye: Police An off-duty Springfield officer who was shot in the head and leg as he drove to work Wednesday night, June 6, may lose vision in an eye as a result of the attack.  Officer Nestor Santos was identified as the person who was seriously injured as he was attacked while sitting in his unmarked police car in the 600 block of State Street, Springfield police authorities said.  Related: 7 Arrested After Police Say They Fired At Officers, Sending 1 To ER His squad supervisor and another police officer rushed him to Baystate Medical Center, and he was later airlifted to a Boston hospital f…

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by Josh Lanier
News
'More Playtime': Rex Heuermann Used 'Planning Document' To Guide Gilgo Beach Murders, DA Says 'More Playtime': Rex Heuermann Used 'Planning Document' To Guide Gilgo Beach Murders, DA Says
'More Playtime': Rex Heuermann Used 'Planning Document' To Guide Gilgo Beach Murders, DA Says New details are shedding light on the lengths that accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann went to in hopes of getting away with his alleged murder spree. The 60-year-old Long Island resident, of Massapequa Park, was arraigned on two more charges of second-degree murder in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, June 6, in the killings of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla. Heuermann was previously charged with the murders of four Gilgo Beach victims: Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Earlier Report: Gilgo Beach Murders: Suspect …

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by Michael Mashburn
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
'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison 'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison
'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison A 51-year-old former Athol man who pleaded guilty to raping multiple children and forcing them to make child pornography will spend at least 25 years behind bars, authorities announced.  Jose A. Oquendo pleaded guilty to 27 charges — including rape and sexual assault — on Thursday, May 30, the Northwestern District Attorney said. He was accused of abusing three children for years.  Franklin Superior Court Judge David Hodge called the Oquendo's abuse "horrific" and commended the victims for standing up in court against their abuser.  He said the sentence of 25 to 30…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Who Raped 2 Children At Great Barrington Treatment Center Sentenced To Up To 12 Years: DA Man Who Raped 2 Children At Great Barrington Treatment Center Sentenced To Up To 12 Years: DA
Douglas Agyeh Pleads Guilty To 23 Felonies After Fleeing US A 44-year-old Berkshire County man who admitted to 23 charges including raping two 15-year-old girls was sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison this week, authorities said.  Douglas Agyeh, of Pittsfield, was a former staffer at the Brookside School in Great Barrington, a treatment center for girls with behavioral or psychological issues.  Agyeh worked at the residential school for several weeks in 2021. He was responsible for monitoring the girls' behavior and protecting them as they slept. However, he took advantage of this authority, court records show.  One of his vic…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Wanted In Western Mass Killing Arrested At Albany Airport Man Wanted In Western Mass Killing Arrested At Albany Airport
Man Wanted In Western Mass Killing Arrested At Albany Airport A 42-year-old man who is accused murdering someone and leaving their body inside a Western Massachusetts apartment was arrested in New York at Albany International Airport on Tuesday, April 23, authorities said.  Taaniel Herberger-Brown is being held on a fugitive from justice warrant in Albany County, following his arrest, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said.  Greenfield police were called to a Chapman Street apartment on Monday after neighbors called to complain about a horrific smell coming from the home. Officers found the body lying in one of the r…

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by Josh Lanier
News
VA Man Found Guilty Of Murdering MA Native, Police Officer Katie Thyne: Report VA Man Found Guilty Of Murdering MA Native, Police Officer Katie Thyne: Report
VA Man Found Guilty Of Murdering MA Native, Police Officer Katie Thyne: Report A 41-year-old Virginia man has been found guilty killing of a police officer originally from Massachusetts during a traffic stop almost three years, Daily Press reports.  Vernon Green II, of Newport News, was found guilty of the second-degree murder of Newport News Police Officer Katherine "Katie" Thyne on Thursday, Nov. 17, the outlet reports.  The 24-year-old got stuck between the driver's door and frame of Green's car while officers tried pulling him out during a marijuana investigation on January 23, 2020, the outlet reports. Thyne died when the car crashed into a tree about a block a…

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by David Cifarelli
News
Man Jailed For Murder Of NY Football Coach Has Conviction Overturned Nearly 30 Years Later Man Jailed For Murder Of NY Football Coach Has Conviction Overturned Nearly 30 Years Later
Man Jailed For Murder Of NY Football Coach Has Conviction Overturned Nearly 30 Years Later A man convicted in the murder of an assistant football coach at Hofstra University on Long Island has been set free after spending more than three decades in prison. Acting State Supreme Court Justice Patricia Harrington ordered a new trial for Nassau County resident Christopher Ellis, age 51, of Hempstead on Monday, Aug. 9.  Ellis was convicted in 1993 of the second-degree murder of 25-year-old Harry Joseph Healy on Saturday, Sept. 29, 1990, by a jury based on testimony from a single eyewitness and without forensic or physical evidence. The judge made the ruling after Ellis’ attorney…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
New England Attorney Once On People's 'Top 50 Bachelors' List Charged With Rape New England Attorney Once On People's 'Top 50 Bachelors' List Charged With Rape
New England Attorney Once On People's 'Top 50 Bachelors' List Charged With Rape A Massachusetts attorney who was once People’s list of “America’s Top 50 Bachelors” has been charged multiple times with rape. Gary Zerola, 49, was arraigned on Jan. 15 on charges of rape and breaking and entering with felony intent, according to the NY Post. Zerola, a Boston defense attorney and former assistant district attorney in Essex and Suffolk counties, appeared in People’s national list of top single men in 2001 alongside “eye-candy” Matt Damon, Josh Hartnett, and Ben Affleck. In his write up, People described Zerola as a foster care advocate who earned a dual degree in law and p…

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by Kristin Palpini