A 32-year-old Dorchester man was ordered held without bail this morning at a district court arraignment for his alleged role in the 2004 murder of Julaine Jules, whose body was discovered in the Charles River four weeks after her family reported her missing, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

At his Dorchester District Court arraignment, SHABAZZ AUGUSTINE (D.O.B. 2/19/79) was formally charged with the 26-year-old Malden resident’s murder. more »

More than 20 years after Janet Phinney was found murdered in a wooded area near her West Roxbury home in an area known as the Grove, the young woman’s ex-boyfriend was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court and formally charged with her death.

“As a direct result of advancements in forensic science, Suffolk prosecutors together with Boston Police Cold Case Squad detectives were finally able to give news of an indictment and arrest to the family members of Janet Phinney, who have been waiting more than 20 years for this day,” District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said. “This case and others like it demonstrate that my office, together with the Boston Police Department, will not give up when there is a chance of finding justice.” more »

Almost a quarter-century after 20-year-old Janet Phinney was found strangled in a wooded area behind her West Roxbury home in an area known as the Grove, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced the indictment and arrest of the victim’s ex-boyfriend for her homicide.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury today returned an indictment charging MICHAEL COKER (D.O.B. 7/3/62), a former Hyde Park resident, with first-degree murder for Phinney’s 1988 death. The victim was last seen by family members at the Cedar Road home where she lived with her parents and siblings on Mar. 18, 1988; Phinney’s body was discovered by a neighbor a few days later on March 21. more »

For the second time, a Suffolk Superior Court jury has declared itself hopelessly deadlocked in its deliberations of a Roxbury man accused of a fatal 2007 shooting.

SHAWN “SHANKS” DAUGHTRY (D.O.B. 5/14/80) of Roxbury, was charged with first-degree murder for the Sept. 20, 2007, shooting death of 29-year-old Urel Duncan. Duncan was sitting outside a Codman Park residence with friends when two men approached the group and opened fire, killing him and wounding another. more »

A Suffolk County prosecutor today told a Superior Court jury in a closing argument that the man who fired at a Hyde Park home after attending a party there, fatally striking an 18-year-old woman, did so after he and his two co-defendants were asked to leave the apartment.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Hickman told the court that, on the evening of Sept. 19, 2009, three men walked into a party at 28 Hillis Road – RUBEN SANCHEZ (D.O.B. 9/6/90) of Hyde Park, MIGUEL VASQUEZ (D.O.B. 5/5/91) of Boston’s South End and ANDRES BREA (D.O.B. 1/25/90) of Roxbury – and by approximately 3 a.m., Castillo was dead from a gunshot wound to the neck. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court clerk magistrate today ordered a 37-year-old man charged with killing a Chelsea man in the victim’s apartment held without bail, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MARIO CRUZADO (D.O.B. 7/10/73), who has no permanent address, was arraigned and charged with first-degree murder for the homicide of Frederick Allen. Chelsea Police officers discovered Allen’s body on Nov. 26, 2010 in the victim’s Bellingham Street home after receiving a 911 call. A Medical Examiner determined that the victim died of blunt force trauma to the head and strangulation. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office has convinced a Superior Court judge that a man charged with mutilating his girlfriend is too dangerous to be released pending trial – even though that girlfriend now claims that she cut her own fingers off.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Patrick Brady today sided with Suffolk prosecutors, who had moved to hold JOSE GONZALEZ (D.O.B. 12/16/78) of Somerville under the state’s so-called “dangerousness statute.” Gonzalez was indicted June 6 on charges of mayhem and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for the attack on his 30-year-old girlfriend earlier this year. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today issued the following statement on today’s sentencing of TERRELL MUHAMMAD (D.O.B. 12/8/63) in a Rhode Island courthouse to 15 years in prison with 13 to serve and the balance suspended with probation:

“Time after time, violent offense after violent offense, Terrell Muhammad has proven himself to be a threat to anyone who crossed his path,” Conley said. “This sentence is appropriate not only to his offenses in Rhode Island but also to his extensive criminal record. I hope it provides some sense of satisfaction to the families of Tommy Rose and Angela Skeete, to the Rhode Island officers he attacked, and to all the others this man has hurt.” more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today determined that a Boston Police officer and a State trooper acted appropriately when they returned fire against Manuel DaVeiga in Dorchester last year. DaVeiga shot himself during that encounter and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Under Massachusetts law, the Suffolk County District Attorney oversees all death investigations in Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Under that authority, Conley directed Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin, the chief of his Homicide Unit, to review the facts and circumstances of DaVeiga’s April 3, 2010, death on Navillus Terrace to determine whether criminal charges were warranted. more »

A 48-year-old Winthrop man charged with masturbating in front of two children at the Winthrop Public Library was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing in East Boston District Court today, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

STEVEN T. STACY (D.O.B. 9/16/62) was arraigned this morning on charges of open and gross lewdness and enticement of a child under the age of 16, for the June 21 incident. Noting that the defendant has an open case pending in the same court for annoying and accosting a person of the opposite sex, Assistant District Attorney Brenna Flynn successfully filed a motion to keep Stacy behind bars pending a hearing under the state’s so-called “dangerousness statute,” scheduled for July 6. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis today announced the indictments and arrests of 18 alleged drug dealers in Operation Tanglewood, a long-term investigation into cocaine and heroin distribution in the area of the Lenox Street Housing Development.

Police Commissioner Ed Davis stated, “This should serve as a clear message to any individuals engaging in violent activity in our communities. We will continue our relentless efforts to hold violent perpetrators accountable. We will not allow these individuals to destroy quality of life for hard-working, law-abiding community members.”

District Attorney Conley said, “The ease with which plainclothes officers bought cocaine and heroin over and over again shows just how brazen these defendants were. The density of drug retailers in this area forced residents to walk a gauntlet every time they left for school, came home from work, or went out to the store. They brought us their concerns, we acted, and the result is safer streets, homes, and parks for families and businesses.” more »

“By the time the defendant shot at Urel Duncan,” Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Lundgren told a Suffolk Superior Court jury this afternoon, “his anger and his frustration had been growing for ten days.”

Duncan was shot dead on the evening of Sept. 20, 2007, as he sat on the front steps of a Codman Park residence with four friends. One of those friends was also shot, allegedly at the hands of the defendant of whom Lundgren spoke – SHAWN “SHANKS” DAUGHTRY (D.O.B. 5/14/80), a Roxbury resident charged with first-degree murder for Duncan’s slaying, armed assault with intent to murder for the shooting of Duncan’s friend, and related firearms offenses. more »

Two men were arraigned and seven more will be summonsed to court in the near future for offenses at and after Saturday’s victory parade for the Boston Bruins, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MICHAEL K. EDDY (D.O.B. 8/22/88) of Reading was arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court this morning on charges of affray, disorderly conduct, assault and battery on a public employee, and two counts of assault and battery on ambulance personnel. He was released on his own recognizance and will return to court on Aug. 17. more »

A nationally-recognized anti-exploitation program will honor Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley this week for his work to protect the child victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

Conley will be honored at Turn on the Light: Coming Together to End the Exploitation of Girls, a fundraiser to support the My Life My Choice program, at the Copley Square Hotel. more »

A Dorchester man has been sentenced to two and a half years in state prison for stabbing two associates during an altercation on the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Chinatown last year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

TROY BRISON (D.O.B. 1/13/65) pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and one count of carrying a dangerous weapon – a knife – for the May 14, 2010, incident near the intersection of Essex Street and Surface Road. more »

Two men pleaded guilty and accepted imprisonment today rather than face trial on charges that they stole as much as $100,000 in merchandise from Copley Square businesses last year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ROBERT DAVIDSON (D.O.B. 6/2/64) of Dorchester admitted to single counts of unarmed robbery and larceny over $250, receiving one and a half to two years in the House of Correction followed by 2 years of probation. KENNETH JAMES (D.O.B. 12/11/67) of Quincy admitted to receiving stolen property and larceny over $250, receiving three to five years in prison. more »

Five men were arraigned today for allegedly using the Boston Bruins’ Stanley Cup victory last night as an excuse to engage in disorderly and destructive behavior, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JUSTIN JERACKAS (D.O.B. 3/21/89) of Chester, New Hampshire; MICHAEL TRWARI (D.O.B. 9/30/82) of Andover; and BRANDON ZAGARELLA (D.O.B. 7/12/92) of Andover were arraigned in the Central Division of the Boston Municipal Court Department on five counts each of malicious destruction of property. more »

Faced with certain arrest for outstanding warrants or the possibility of death by subway train or electrocution, a Lynn woman allegedly chose the latter yesterday at the Ashmont MBTA station, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

OPHELIA WHEAT (D.O.B. 10/11/72) was arraigned yesterday in Dorchester District Court on charges of trespassing, resisting arrest, and obstructing a railroad for her alleged flight from MBTA Transit Police on Monday morning. Assistant District Attorney Christine Mandell recommended that she be held on $1,000 cash bail; Judge Michael Coyne released her on her own recognizance. more »

An East Boston man will serve up to five years in state prison for beating another man unconscious outside a Financial District bar hosting a bikini contest two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury yesterday convicted KEVIN COLON, Jr. (D.O.B. 4/9/86) of aggravated assault and battery on a 47-year-old West Roxbury man in the early morning hours of June 4, 2009. Assistant District Attorney Philip O’Brien of Conley’s Senior Trial Unit recommended that he serve four to five years in state prison; Suffolk Superior Court Judge Judith Fabricant sentenced him to three to five years. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today released the following statement on the death of 17-year-old Francis McInerney in West Roxbury late last night:

“The loss of Francis McInerney’s life on VFW Parkway last night is a terrible tragedy for his family, his friends, and the Catholic Memorial School community. That tragedy is compounded by the fact that they must now mourn his loss at what should have been a time of celebration as Francis completed his junior year and prepared for a bright future as a senior and a promising young man. more »

State Police detectives assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office are investigating a collision on VFW Parkway in West Roxbury last night that claimed a young man’s life.

State Police responded to the area of Gardner Street shortly after 10:00 p.m. for a report of a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle. That pedestrian, later identified as 17-year-old Francis McInerney of West Roxbury, was transported to Brigham and Women’s Hospital with extensive injuries. He was pronounced deceased just before 1:00 a.m. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today joined Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis at Boston Police Headquarters and delivered the following remarks on the officer-involved shooting of TYRONE CUMMINGS (D.O.B. 8/27/85) of Dorchester during an incident on Dunbar Avenue this morning:

“Of all the calls a police officer can respond to, few are more volatile than those involving domestic violence. We saw that in stark relief this morning. And while we’re deeply relieved that Officer Marando’s surgery this morning was successful, we’re also mindful that he was shot by a man who – at this early stage – appeared to have been preparing to use deadly violence against an intimate partner. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today acquitted a Dorchester man of murdering 21-year-old John Paul Torres outside a party on Dudley Street two years ago.

RAFAEL LARA (D.O.B. 3/11/91) had been charged with second-degree murder for allegedly plunging a knife into Torres’ chest at about 3:45 on the morning of May 3, 2009, causing his death in a hospital bed three days later. more »

When a friend planned a birthday party for 18-year-old Paula Castillo, a Suffolk County prosecutor told a Superior Court jury in an opening statement this morning, “it wasn’t supposed to end with the death of a young woman.”

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Hickman told the court that, on the evening of Sept. 19, 2009, three men walked into that party at 28 Hillis Road – RUBEN SANCHEZ (D.O.B. 9/6/90) of Hyde Park, MIGUEL VASQUEZ (D.O.B. 5/5/91) of Boston’s South End and ANDRES BREA (D.O.B. 1/25/90) of Roxbury – and by approximately 3 a.m., Castillo was dead from a gunshot wound to the neck. more »

The Supreme Judicial Court today upheld a former Chelsea man’s first-degree murder conviction for strangling his estranged wife, 40-year-old Alicia Lao, to death more than a decade ago – the second time the state’s highest court has done so, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Today’s decision ensures that AGAPITO LAO (D.O.B. 7/10/58) will continue to serve out his sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for Alicia Lao’s May 2, 2000, death at his hands inside her Bellingham Street home. The defendant was first convicted in 2002, with that verdict affirmed by the SJC in 2005. more »

In an opening statement this morning, a Suffolk County prosecutor told a Superior Court jury at a homicide defendant’s re-trial that the victim of a 2007 fatal shooting was an innocent man who was sitting on a Roxbury stoop with friends when he was killed.

SHAWN “SHANKS” DAUGHTRY (D.O.B. 5/14/80) of Roxbury is charged with first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Urel Duncan on the evening of Sept. 20, 2007, and armed assault with intent to murder for the non-fatal shooting of Duncan’s then 19-year-old friend, who was seated next to him on the steps of a Codman Park residence. He is additionally charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley this week promoted Assistant District Attorney David Deakin to the new position of senior counsel to the district attorney and named two experienced lawyers to oversee drug prosecutions in Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop.

Deakin, a Suffolk prosecutor since 1996 and an assistant district attorney in Norfolk County before that, will maintain his current title as chief of the DA’s Family Protection and Sexual Assault Bureau but will also work directly with the district attorney to chart the overall legal operation of the office, Conley said. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today hailed a decision by the Supreme Judicial Court to uphold a gun-toting drug dealer’s conviction based on evidence recovered in a hotel room from which he’d been evicted, bringing Massachusetts in line with other jurisdictions nationwide.

The state’s highest court yesterday upheld the 2007 conviction of MARK MOLINA (D.O.B. 6/19/83), a former Fenway resident kicked out of the Colonnade Hotel after a series of run-ins with its staff on the night of June 17 and morning of June 18, 2005. Molina was found guilty of trafficking in cocaine, possession of Class C and Class D substances with intent to distribute, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition; he was sentenced to three years in state prison followed by two years of probation. more »

A Dorchester man will spend the rest of his life in prison for shooting his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend to death during an argument in the woman’s Jamaica Plain home two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Superior Court jury this afternoon convicted GREGORIO “MIKEY” LOPEZ (D.O.B. 9/3/90) of first-degree murder for shooting 32-year-old Shoughan Morgan in the chest, killing him, his girlfriend’s Mozart Street residence on March 11, 2009. more »