Prosecutors in Massachusetts say that a 39-year-old man shot and killed a father and his son on the night of Jan. 10 without warning in an attack they described as an ambush. Police have yet to identify a motive for the double homicide, but they say the crime scene is known as a place where drug dealers meet their customers. Family members say the two victims both had well-paying jobs and did not use drugs. One of the men was a utilities worker and the other was employed by Boston University as a cook.
The shootings took place on Second Street near Beaver Terrace Circle in Farmington at approximately 11:50 p.m. Police say that they recovered a firearm at the scene, but they have not revealed what led them to focus their investigation on the suspect. However, initial reports suggest that several people were present when the shots were fired. Investigators have speculated that the two men may have been caught up in a turf war between rival drug gangs. Emergency service workers pronounced a 24-year-old man dead at the scene. his father succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a nearby trauma center.
The man accused of pulling the trigger was taken into custody at a Marlboro hotel on Jan. 14. Police have not disclosed how they located the suspect. He was arraigned in Framingham District Court on Jan. 15 and is being held on murder and weapons charges. The arrest and charges were announced in a press conference held by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
Cases involving violent crimes like this one are often resolved by plea agreements as prosecutors may be reluctant to argue before a jury when police have been unable to establish a compelling motive. During plea negotiations, experienced criminal defense attorneys could seek more lenient treatment for their clients by pointing out mitigating factors like childhood trauma and raising questions about the reliability of eyewitness testimony.