Worcester man charged with Hubbardston murder, allegedly beat former employee with baseball bat

A Worcester man initially arrested in connection with the death of a 32-year-old found dead earlier this month in Hubbardston is now charged with murder, and two others have been charged with accessory after the fact, authorities said. 

Ryan Wilcox, 32, was charged earlier this month with armed assault with intent to kill, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with the death of Mitchell Burke, 32, of Worcester. On Tuesday, Wilcox was arraigned on a murder charge, with authorities alleging that he beat Burke to death with a metal baseball bat on New Year’s Eve. 

Shane Bowen, 28, of Warren, and Richard Gabrila, 39, of Worcester, have both been charged with accessory after the fact. Prosecutors allege the two men helped Wilcox clean up the crime scene, assisted with throwing away evidence, then participated in moving and abandoning Burke’s body in Hubbardston. 

Burke’s body was found around 10 a.m. on Jan. 4 in Hubbardston on a wooded path near Brigham Street. 

The body showed “substantial trauma” to the head and bruising to the chest and abdomen, and Burke’s pants had been pulled down, according to the statement of facts filed for the murder charge against Wilcox in Worcester District Court. Authorities said investigators determined that Burke had last been seen on Dec. 31, 2024 and, after speaking with his mother, learned that Burke had taken his mother’s car to meet with his former boss, whom she identified as Wilcox. 

Authorities interviewed Wilcox on Jan. 5, and the 32-year-old allegedly stated he was with Burke on New Year’s Eve. 

“Wilcox told investigators that he struck Burke with a metal baseball bat numerous times, including in the head,” authorities wrote in the court filing. 

According to the statement of facts, Wilcox told investigators that Bowen and Gabrila were present at a home in Worcester when he struck Burke with the bat. Bowen later told police that Wilcox, he, and Gabrila used Wilcox’s truck to take Burke’s body to Hubbardston after cleaning up the crime scene.

In Hubbardston, Bowen allegedly told police they heard Burke “gurgling” in the bed of the pickup, according to court documents. Bowen told investigators that Wilcox told him to “finish off” Burke, but when he said no, Wilcox repeatedly struck his former employee with the bat in the head, according to the statement of facts. 

According to court filings, Gabrila allegedly drove the truck to Hubbardston then drove the vehicle back to Worcester to be dropped off. He then allegedly drove Burke’s mother’s car to Oxford, where he was allegedly picked up by Bowen. 

“While driving home, Gabrila disposed of the keys to the decedent’s car in a sewer drain off Airport Drive [in] Worcester,” authorities wrote. 

Bowen was arraigned on Jan. 6 and pleaded not guilty, according to the Worcester District Attorney’s office. He was released on his personal recognizance with an order to stay away and have no contact with Burke’s family. He is due back in court on Feb. 4. An attorney for Bowen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Gabrila was arraigned on Jan. 7 and held on $20,000 cash bail, ordered to be put on GPS monitoring if bailed, and is due back in court on Feb. 3, according to the DA’s office.

Wilcox pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. 

In a statement, Wilcox’s attorney Kevin Larson said his client “maintains his innocence in this matter.”

“He sits in jail while we have been provided with little to no information from the Commonwealth,” Larson said. “From what we do know, it appears one of the co-defendant’s implicated Mr. Wilcox in return for his freedom — which calls into serious question his veracity and credibility. We look forward to getting to the truth of what happened.”

Wilcox was ordered held without bail at his arraignment on Tuesday. He is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 19.

Dialynn Dwyer

Dialynn Dwyer is a reporter and editor at Boston.com, covering breaking and local news across Boston and New England.

 

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