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Thomas Bergstrom, 42, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and will be eligible for parole after 25 years, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said. The sentence was agreed upon by the court and Vazquez-Rivera’s family, who supported the plea to shield her two young daughters from the trauma of testifying in a murder trial.
“We know nothing can bring Jennifer back to her family, but we hope today’s plea brings some measure of justice to her family to help them move forward after this tragedy,” Worcester DA Joseph D. Early Jr. said.
Vazquez-Rivera was found stabbed in her Lapierre Street apartment in Worcester on Oct. 2, 2019. Despite life-saving efforts, she was pronounced dead shortly after being rushed to the hospital.
Police said at the time that Bergstrom and Vazquez-Rivera had been dating, though friends said they had broken up at the time of the slaying. Witnesses described a man who looked like Bergstrom running from the home around the time of the stabbing with a knife.
Vazquez-Rivera was a devoted mother who cared deeply for her family, they said in her obituary.
Jeniffer loved music and spending quality time with her friends and family. Although Jeniffer was always smiling and radiating joy, nothing compared to the joy she felt when spending time with her beautiful daughters.
Bergstrom turned himself over to police in Blackstone two days after the killing and has remained in custody since.
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