No Bail in Wayland Street Homicide

BOSTON, May 21, 2018— Two men were ordered held without bail at their arraignment today in the murder of 34-year-old Michael Ross, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DARIO BAXTER, 21, who lists addresses in Lynn and Roxbury, and DAWON WRIGHT, 22, of Dorchester were arraigned today in Roxbury Municipal Court in connection with Ross’ March 30 shooting death. Baxter is charged with murder and being an accessory after the fact to murder; Wright faces charges of murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition.

At the request of Assistant District Attorney Tara Burdman of the DA’s Homicide Unit, Judge Debra DelVecchio ordered both men held without bail and revoked Baxter’s bail in an open firearm case pending in Dorchester Municipal Court.

Burdman told the court that surveillance cameras captured the victim walking from Howard Avenue onto Wayland Street shortly after 9:00 a.m. on March 30. A gold-brown colored four-door vehicle with tinted windows can be seen turning on to Wayland Street after him, before it turned onto Balfour Street.

A camera moments later captured a man in a red jacket, later identified as Wright, follow the victim on foot and raise his hand, prosecutors said. Wright allegedly pursued Ross as he began to run. After the victim collapsed in the area of Wayland and Dacia streets, Wright ran back to the vehicle waiting on Balfour Street and fled the area.

Ross suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.

Surveillance video and witness statements were used to identify the vehicle – which had damage to it’s passenger side bumper and other distinctive features – as a 2003 Honda Accord registered to an individual known to Baxter. Baxter was pulled over while operating the same vehicle with the owner’s permission during the early morning hours of the day after the shooting. Wright was also in the vehicle at the time.

Investigators subsequently obtained a warrant to search the vehicle and retrieved additional surveillance video depicting the gold Honda leaving a Zeigler Street address minutes before the murder. An individual consistent with Baxter’s appearance was behind the wheel and an individual wearing a red jacket was in the front passenger’s seat.

Katherine Moran, Chief of the DA’s Victim Witness Assistance Program, is the DA’s assigned victim witness advocate. Baxter is represented by Daniel Solomon and Wright by James Budreau. Both return to court June 25.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.