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Silent Witnesses in MA
October 2002 -October 2003 The following deaths were all related to intimate partner violence. We did our best to try to document the lives of these victims whenever possible. All of this information is true to the best of our knowledge. |
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October 5, 2002
Katherine Herpin 13 Years Old Can you imagine the life of a 13 year old? I can. 13-year-old CHILDREN are supposed to be having fun, going to school, and spending time with Family and Friends. Katherine Herpin, 13 years old, was strangled in her mother’s Roxbury apartment. Her mother’s boyfriend, Jose Alavarez, strangled Katherine and then stuffed her under her bed later to be found by her mother. Katherine’s death is suspected to have been done out of an act of jealously and fear that Katherine’s mother had been cheating on Jose Alavarez. |
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October 5, 2002
Elia Mendez (son of Jose Alavarez) 5 Years Old ( This Murder Is Connected To Katherine Herpin’s Murder) Okay, let’s think about this again. Could you imagine the life of a 5-year-old CHILD? A 5-year-old child’s life is just beginning. 5-year-olds barely know anything about life. Why should anyone have the right to take it away from them? Later that day, Elia Mendez was killed by his father, Jose Alavarez in Somerville Mass. Elia’s father placed a pillow over Elia’s face to minimize any noise and fatally shot him. Then, Jose Alavarez fatally shot himself in the head. Jose Alavarez also had 2 other children with his ex-wife, who had a restraining order on Jose Alavarez. |
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Yana Kolenda
Age 11 Westfield This victim was adopted from Russia by her parents when she was about 3 years old. She attended Holy Trinity School. She was often seen outside playing with her brother. She was stabbed to death by her father in the kitchen of her own home. She was brought to the basement where she was found. |
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Gienia Kolenda
Age 50 Westfield This victim was often seen outside tending to her garden and her house. She was a housewife and was known to keep her house very clean. Her husband stabbed her in her house. She was stabbed in her kitchen and brought to her basement. |
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Anatoli Kolenda
Age 11 Westfield Anatoli Kolenda was adopted from Russia by his parents when he was about 3 years old. He attended Holy Trinity School. He was often seen outside playing with his sister. This victim was stabbed to death by his father in the kitchen of his own home. He was brought to the basement where he was found. |
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Sergio Herrera
Age 19 Boston, MA December 25, 2002 Sergio Herrera tried to defend a woman from his own cousin. Sergio’s cousin had been assaulting his live-in girlfriend. At a Christmas Eve party in Fitchburg, he was stabbed and pronounced dead at the scene. His cousin was charged with his murder. |
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Rafael Alcantara
Age 21 Fitchburg, MA December 25, 2002 Rafael Alcantara was a friend of Sergio Herrera. Both men tried to stop Jose Aponte-Jimenez from assaulting his own live-in girlfriend. Alcantara was fatally stabbed and was pronounced dead at the hospital on Christmas Eve. |
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Tracy Fletcher
Age 40 Malden Tracy Fletcher charged her boyfriend with domestic assault and battery in May. The charges were dismissed. On December 31, 2002, Gary Govan, age 48, stabbed Tracy to death. Several neighbors and at least one person passing by witnessed her death. |
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Maria Gomes
Age 66 Maria Gomes was shot to death by her son-in-law, Pedro Barbosa in her home in Brockton, MA on January 13, 2003. She was found huddled with her daughter, Laurinda Gomes on a bed in an upstairs bedroom. She as pronounced dead on the scene with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. |
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Laurinda Gomes
Age 42 Laurinda Gomes was shot to death by her husband, Pedro Barbosa in their home in Brockton, MA on January 13, 2003. She was found huddled with her mother on a bed in an upstairs bedroom. She as pronounced dead on the scene with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. Her 11-year-old daughter, Karina, was also shot to death in the hallway. Laurinda’s 12-year-old son, Justin Barbosa, found all three bodies but was left physically unharmed. Pedro Barbosa took his own life shortly after the murders. |
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Stephen Reid
Age 39 Jamaica Plain 2/7/2003 Stephen Reid was stabbed to death by his girlfriend who he lived with. Sara Navarro, 43, was also arrested in December 2000 when she attacked Reid. |
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Amelia Gomez
Age 49 Roslindale March 25, 2003 Amelia Gomez dated her boyfriend for five months. At that time, they got into and argument and he hit her. She threw him out of her apartment. Two days later, Amelia Gomez was stabbed to death by her former boyfriend. He was charged with her murder and still angry that she made him leave. |
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Livia Hedda Rev-Kury
Age 79 Brookline, MA March 31, 2003 Livia Hedda Rev-Kury was married for fifty years. She was from Hungary and had spent time in a Nazi concentration camp. In the US, she was a doctor who specialized in clinical pathology and later she owned an elegant restaurant for 37 years. She and her husband had a son that was born in 1958. Livia Hedda died of strangulation and her husband died from an overdose of Valium. It is believed to be a murder-suicide. |
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Berenice Tejada
Age 52 Roslindale April 19, 2003 Berenice Tejada came to the United States from the Dominican Republic 27 years ago and raised a family. Five years ago, she bought the apartment building where she lived. Three weeks before Berenice’s murder, she was married to prevent Euclides Ortiz, age 45, from being deported. After her murder, he was found hiding in a closet and has charges pending for her murder. |
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Sally Spry
Age 65 Sally taught at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School in Fitchburg. She liked to garden in her spare time. She lived in the same house for more than 25 years and raised children there. Sally Spry died on April 20, 2003 in her home in Stow. She was stabbed to death by her husband, William Spry after a week of domestic disturbances. |
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Donovan Penrose
Age 33 Fitchburg June 11, 2003 Donovan Penrose tried to help his ex-girlfriend, Natalie Blanchette. She wanted his help when she had an argument with her current boyfriend, Steven Laramee. Laramee punched Donovan Penrose and Donovan died the next day in the hospital. Laramee was arrested that same day and charged with murder. |
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Colleen Stone
Age 30 Colleen Stone died on June 1, 2003 in Holden. She was shot outside of her house. Her husband, Christopher Stone, had a degree in criminal justice and worked as acting director of security at the Hampshire Mall in Hadley for a while. After his wife’s murder, he called 911 anonymously. Later, he said he shot his wife. The police found his dead body in the woods in Templeton days later. |
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Robert J. Sacramona
Age 38 Mansfield June 11, 2003 Robert Sacramona met Matthew Shaw in Las Vegas. Robert was beaten to death by his male partner in his Mansfield apartment. The police plan to charge Matthew Shaw for murder and robbery once he is apprehended. |
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Gilane Saget
Age 34 Brockton, MA June 15, 2003 Gilane Saget worked for two years as a nurse’s aid at Northeast Specialty Hospital. She planned to marry Jean Claude Jules, age 34. He gave her money to use a down payment on a house which was in her name (only she had a green card until after they married). Gilane was found dead in her car less than a block from her job. She died from multiple stab wounds. Jean Claude has been charged with her death. |
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Baby Petitry
Age 24 Brockton, MA June 26, 2003 Baby Petitry had a two month old child with his girlfriend. Baby’s girlfriend has been charged with his death. Baby would not let his girlfriend go out to a bar with her friends. That was when the fight started. Baby was stabbed to death in the neck with a piece of glass. The two-month-old child now is in state custody with an older child of the girlfriend’s. |
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Nelli Bessonova
Age 43 Waltham June 29, 2003 Nelli Bessonova had a fifteen year old daughter. Viktor Bessonova, age 50, had a history of abusing his wife on more than one occasion. Ultimately, he stabbed her to death. Then, he stabbed his daughter and slashed his own wrists. Yelena, his daughter, was able to run to get help and then Viktor was charged with his crimes. |
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Amy Levesque
Age 29 Springfield, MA July 25, 2003 Amy had a nine year old daughter and a five year old son. The father is William Murphy. William P. Murphy, 33, of Springfield, has been charged with her killing. They had broken their relationship about seven months before she was stabbed. One month before she was stabbed, Mr. Murphy was released after pleading innocent to punching Amy. One day before she was stabbed, William Murphy discovered that Amy had a boyfriend. He is charged with first-degree murder and is held without bail in Ludlow Jail. |