BOSTON, Aug. 29, 2012—Two men were formally charged with murder today in unconnected Boston homicides, with one being sent to a secure facility for a mental health evaluation and the other being held without bail, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JAHVON GOODWIN (D.O.B. 8/26/91), formerly of Boston but recently staying in Lynn, was arraigned in Roxbury District Court today on a murder charge stemming from the Aug. 15 stabbing death of 24-year-old Rashad Lesley-Barnes.

Assistant District Attorney David Fredette of Conley’s Homicide Unit told the court that Goodwin had been identified as the person responsible for Lesley-Barnes’ fatal stabbing as a result of video surveillance and “other corroborating evidence” developed in the course of an ongoing investigation.

At the request of Goodwin’s attorney, Judge David B. Poole sent Goodwin for a 20-day mental health evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital. At Fredette’s request, Poole also revoked Goodwin’s bail on a pending case charging him with assault and battery on a public employee.

Boston Police arrested Goodwin this morning on a warrant approved yesterday as police and prosecutors investigated the 24-year-old victim’s homicide. Authorities believe the two men crossed paths on board an MBTA bus a short time before the attack, and that the incident – which took place in the area of 65 Warren St. – was unprovoked.

Also arraigned today was DERRICK BULLOCK (D.O.B. 8/13/71) of Mattapan, who had previously faced attempted murder charges for allegedly stabbing his nephew, 43-year-old Curtis Cox, in the neck but appeared in Dorchester District Court today on an upgraded murder charge.

Judge Kenneth Desmond granted Assistant District Attorney Dana Pierce’s request that Bullock be held without bail. The assault took place on July 31 and Cox died of his injury the next day, shortly after Bullock’s initial Aug. 1 arraignment on charges of armed assault with intent to murder and aggravated assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon.

Bullock had been on $50,000 bail since his initial arraignment. The lesser charges were dismissed in light of the new murder charge.

Leading up to the fatal stabbing, Pierce said, the two men had an apparent verbal argument in front of a liquor store at 1633 Blue Hill Ave. in Mattapan that was captured by surveillance cameras. After Cox walked away from the fight, Bullock allegedly pulled something from his pocket – believed by prosecutors to be a knife – and followed Cox. The men got into a physical struggle, during which Bullock allegedly stabbed Cox in the neck.

After the assault, Cox made his way into an adjacent pizza shop for help while Bullock left the area headed in the direction of Milton but later returned to the scene.

Bullock was arrested by police at a nearby Sovereign Bank and identified by multiple witnesses.  A knife was found on the ground in the direction Bullock initially fled, while what is believed to be a matching sheath was found by police in Bullock’s pocket.

Bullock was represented by attorney John Hayes and is due back in court on Sept. 27.

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