Three arrested in double stabbing in beach area Monday night Victim brothers stable being treated at Mass. General

By Joseph Domelowicz Jr.

Winthrop Police, working with members of the State Police Suffolk CPAC Unit, arrested three Winthrop youths Monday night, following a double stabbing of two brothers on Trident Avenue. The three men arrested confessed to the stabbings, according to police reports.

Arrested and arraigned later were John Walker, 17, and Michael Walker, also 17, both of 80 Sagamore Avenue and James Murray, 17 of 86 Sagamore Avenue. The three youths were arraigned in East Boston District Court on amended charges of assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. John Walker was held on $10,000 cash bail and Michael Walker and James Murray were held on $2,500 cash bail each.

The incident appears to be the culmination of a few days’ dispute between the parties involved, during which police were called to the same Trident Avenue address three other times in the two days before the stabbing.

“John Walker seemed to be the most aggressive of the suspects and was the person we believe initiated [the attack],” said Lieutenant Executive Officer Terrence Delehanty. “We continue to work on the case, to determine the reason behind the stabbings, and I know that Lieutenant Detective Brian Perrin and Officer Mary Crisafi have already uncovered other information that indicates that this may go deeper than this one set of incidents.”

According to Lieutenant Detective Brian Perrin, who helped lead the investigation with the help of the State Police Investigation Unit, the stabbings occurred at approximately 8:55 p.m. on Monday night, when Winthrop Police were called to Trident Avenue on a report of a disturbance between young males. With officers already en route, the report changed to multiple stabbings, with one of the victims detained by the victims’ father.

“Anytime there is a death or an injury that could likely lead to death, we have to call the State Police Suffolk CPAC Unit,” explained Perrin. “In this instance, it was not only procedure, but we really needed the help of additional officers to investigate the case properly, because there were so many witnesses to interview.”

Delehanty added, after Winthrop officers arrived at the scene, they took custody of one of the suspects who had been detained by the family and immediately began applying first aid to the two victims.

Once appropriate emergency medical assistance arrived, the officers then turned their attention to interviewing witnesses and searching for the other suspects.

“We have a very good working relationship with the Suffolk CPAC Unit that goes back 10 years or more, and we also got a lot of our own off-duty officers stopping by offering to help wherever they could,” said Perrin. “We were interviewing witnesses into the early morning hours as it was. Without the help of the State Police, I don’t know if we would’ve been able to wrap up the investigation so quickly.”

Delehanty said the collaborative police effort was a major factor in securing the three confessions and helping to hold the suspects on bail.

“Obviously, with the seriousness of these charges, this case could be sent up for indictment to the Supreme Court,” said Delehanty.

Lieutenant Perrin noted the hard work of Detective Dennis Hickey, officers Shawn McCarthy, Giulio Bonavita and Mary Crisafi and Lieutenant Frank Scarpa during the investigation.

“All of the officers and detectives who worked on this case did an excellent job, but in these extremely difficult financial times when we are so short of resources, we were also lucky to have the help of the State Police,” said Perrin.