2003 Massachusetts Intimate Partner Homicide List Narratives

January 1, 2003 – December 31, 2003

The following list describes publicly reported intimate partner homicides in which criminal charges have been filed (except in the case of murder-suicides). The narrative includes homicide of children in connection with an intimate partner homicide. This list does not include non-intimate partner family member homicides or all stalking-related homicides. It also does not include homicides occurring in previous years for which charges were filed this period. The definition of intimate partner violence that is used for this list are relationships that include spouse, ex-spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, ex-girlfriend/boyfriend, partner, ex-partner, and a dating relationship.

January 13: Laurinda Gomes, 42, of Brockton was fatally shot, along with her daughter, Karina Barbosa, 11, and Gomes’ mother, Maria Gomes, 66, by Gomes’ husband, Pedro Barbosa, 38. After shooting his wife, daughter and mother-in-law, Barbosa then shot himself. According to other people present in the house, Barbosa was yelling at his daughter for watching television and had threatened that his wife wouldn’t leave the relationship alive.

March 25, 2003: Amelia Gomez, 49, of Roslindale was stabbed to death by her former boyfriend, Cesar Rios Velez. Authorities charged Velez with murder, who began stabbing himself after stabbing Gomez. There was a history of domestic violence and Velez had threatened to kill Gomez several times. He became upset when Gomez broke off the relationship and asked Velez to move out of her house.

April 20. 2003: Sally Spry, 65, of Stow was stabbed to death by her husband, William Spry, 65. There had been a history of domestic violence, as recently as that week, as police had been called to the home at least once to help Sally Spry retrieve clothes. After killing his wife, Spry hanged himself.

June 1, 2003: Colleen Stone, 30, of Holden was fatally shot by her husband, Christopher Stone, in the back while she was running away from him. Stone called 911 after shooting his wife, then took off in his car.

June 11, 2003: Robert J. Sacramona, 38, of Mansfied was allegedly bludgeoned to death by Matthew Shaw, 24. Both men met in Las Vegas and Shaw went to Sacramona’s apartment where he murdered him and fled. Authorities plan to charger Shaw with murder and robbery once apprehended.

June 29, 2003: Nelli Bessonova, 43, of Waltham was stabbed to death by her husband, Viktor Bessonov, 50. There was a history of domestic violence and Bessonov had threatened to kill his wife on more than one occasion. After stabbing his wife, Bessonov stabbed his daugther, Yelena, 15, and slashed his own wrists. Yelena was able to flee and get help. Bessonov was charged with his wife’s murder.

October 9, 2003: Andrea Nolan, 37, formerly of Groton, was found in her house in Palm Bay, Florida, stabbed to death. In the month prior to her death, Nolan had moved to Palm Bay from Groton, MA and filed a restraining order against her then boyfriend, Brian Rappe 44. Authorities believe Rappe murdered Andrea and then hanged himself at the hotel he was staying in in Cocos Beach, Florida about 20 miles from Palm Bay.

November 2, 2003: William Casavant, 50, of Fall River, was allegedly asphyxiated by his girlfriend, Kathleen Ferreira, 40. William Casavant had been charged with assaulting Ferreira on at least five occasions during the two years the couple had resided together.

December 1, 2003: Lori Corbett, 26, of Beverly was stabbed to death by her live-in boyfriend, Jason Beals. Beals died shortly after from stab wounds. Friends said that Beals was upset because Corbett was trying to break up with him, and other relatives and friends report that Beals had recently stolen her car, smashed her computer and cleaned out her back account. Corbert has been planning to go with Jason Beals’ stepmother to get a restraining order that morning. Controversy has arisen around this case since Beals’ father who is a police officer in Beverly had answered a 911 call from the residence 3 days prior.