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Newton murders: Court docs detail triple homicide suspect’s ‘erratic’ behavior
A lawyer for Christopher Ferguson, the man charged in connection with the deaths of three Newton residents, entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Tuesday.
Charged in the apparent triple homicide that rocked Newton over the weekend, Christopher Ferguson was ordered held without bail during his arraignment Tuesday.
The 41-year-old is accused of attacking three Newton residents — Gilda “Jill” D’Amore, 73; her husband, Bruno D’Amore, 74; and her mother, Lucia Arpino, 97 — in their Broadway home over the weekend. A friend found the three family members dead Sunday morning, setting off a citywide manhunt for suspects.
A bloody footprint later tied Ferguson to the crime scene, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan told reporters Monday night. Ferguson has been charged with murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and burglary.
Defense attorney Dmitry Lev entered a not guilty plea on Ferguson’s behalf Tuesday.
Prosecutor: Several items found nearby
According to Ryan, home security video from nearby Albemarle Road showed a man walking around at about 5:20 a.m. Sunday with a “staggering gait” and no shirt or shoes. She said officers identified the man as Ferguson.
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Investigators canvassing the neighborhood after the killings found other oddities, prosecutor Nicole Allain explained in Newton District Court. She said officers found a pair of boots on an Albemarle Road porch that did not belong to the residents there, as well as a suitcase and backpack in two nearby locations.
A redacted probable cause statement obtained by Boston.com indicates that the boots were the same color as ones Ferguson had been seen wearing Saturday evening, and that they were also the same size as the footprints found in the D’Amores’ home.
Investigators found the suitcase at the intersection of Albemarle Road and Crafts Street, while the backpack — which allegedly contained Ferguson’s photo ID and several identifying documents — was located in a nearby field, according to the probable cause statement.
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Allain also noted that Ferguson was previously prosecuted in 2005. In that case, he was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and a substance abuse evaluation, The Boston Globe reported. The charges were eventually dismissed.
A potential history of mental illness
Though Allain did not touch on Ferguson’s mental health or alleged motive in court Tuesday, the probable cause statement indicates a potential history of mental illness.
More on the Newton murders:
Ferguson’s ex-girlfriend, who dated him for a year-and-a-half before they broke up in January 2023, allegedly told officers that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had been in a manic episode since February.
Meanwhile, his sister — who shares a home with Ferguson on Washington Street — described his recent behavior as “erratic,” according to the probable cause statement. Officers applied for an emergency Section 12 mental health evaluation, and Ferguson was taken to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton and held for 72 hours, the court document indicates.
On social media, Ferguson’s Facebook page jumps between inspirational quotes and pictures with loved ones. In one 2020 post, he wrote about experiencing “both housing and food insecurity during lean times marked by instability.”
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He included a photo of his family’s Newton home in the post, writing, “There were a few years during the heights of my madness where I was not welcome, but the temporary suspension made me appreciate it more.”
Ferguson also appeared to have an account on the blogging platform Medium, where he wrote in 2020 about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in his 20s.
‘The failure of our mental health system’
Framingham Public Schools confirmed that Ferguson worked there as a campus aide for two years until March 2023, the Globe reported. Neighbors told the newspaper that Ferguson had recently lost a job at a local Whole Foods store.
Joseph Deluca recalled a night a few weeks earlier when Ferguson had been behaving unusually, the Globe reported.
“He was walking around, he had his shirt off,” Deluca told the newspaper. “He was dragging his feet and was down and out. I don’t know.”
According to the Globe, neighbors Ilana and Natan Margalit said that Ferguson’s family tried to get him mental health care. Ilana Margalit told the Globe that Ferguson’s sister had mentioned he was hospitalized for mental health issues earlier this month.
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“It feels to me 100 percent the failure of our mental health system,” Ilana Margalit told the Globe. “He has family who loves him, and have been trying their best to get him the help he needs.”
Christopher Ferguson Redacted Probable Cause Statement
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