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Woman accused of killing lawyer on Charlestown houseboat pleads not guilty
Nora Nelson allegedly stabbed Joseph Donohue to death and strangled his dog earlier this year.
A Boston woman who allegedly killed a lawyer, Joseph Donohue, on a houseboat in Charlestown earlier this year was arraigned Friday in Suffolk Superior Court.
Nora Nelson, 24, faces a murder charge alongside two felony charges related to injuring and killing an animal. She pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to court records. Nelson was ordered held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on July 25.
Nelson was initially arrested on unrelated warrants after Donohue’s body was found, and she has been held without bail since then.
On Feb. 2, Boston police officers responded to the Charlestown Marina to conduct a wellbeing check on the 65-year-old Donohue. Members of his family had not heard from him in several days and asked police to check on him. Donohue’s houseboat, the Alinea, was at the marina.
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Nelson answered the door, and a golden retriever belonging to Donohue approached the door. Nelson was told to shut the door and secure the dog before coming back to speak with police. Through a slit in a curtain, officers saw her running around and moving items around the houseboat, according to court documents and Assistant District Attorney Rita Claire Muse.
Nelson gave officers “inconsistent, contradictory, and frankly nonsensical answers” when they asked where Donohue was. She also gave police a fake name: Casey. An officer entered the boat and found Donohue’s body at the stern of the vessel, beyond sliding glass doors that led to his bedroom, Muse said in court Friday.
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His body was wrapped in what appeared to be carpeting and other fabrics secured with duct tape. Dumbbells were tied to his body using jump ropes. Officers observed a significant number of reddish-brown stains around the boat. The bottom of a bedsheet that was serving as a curtain to the entrance of the houseboat was covered in what appeared to be blood, Muse said.
Numerous cleaning supplies were scattered around the houseboat’s living room “in an apparent effort to clean up,” she said.
Police later found a dead dog, identified as the second one belonging to Donohue, in the water near the bow of the boat. An expert determined that the dog likely died of asphyxiation via strangulation, according to prosecutors. They say Nelson is responsible.
Nelson was transported to BPD headquarters and again provided nonsensical answers to police attempting to interview her about Donohue’s recent whereabouts. She gave a second fake name: Mary, prosecutors said.
An autopsy of Donohue’s body determined that he suffered approximately 67 stab wounds. A small, triangular piece of a knife was found embedded in his forehead. The remaining portion of that knife was found by a dive team in the waters outside the houseboat. Two faux pink fingernails were located on Donohue’s body. Nelson identified those fingernails as her own, Muse said.
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Investigators found that Donohue was last seen on Jan. 31. Only Nelson was seen coming and going from the houseboat after Donohue’s last sighting, Muse said.
“Our family is thankful to all of the law enforcement officials who have led the investigation into Joe’s death,” Donohue’s family said in a statement. “We remain heartbroken by the devastating loss of our beloved Joe, and continue to appreciate the love and support we have received since his passing. We again ask the public, particularly members of the media, to respect our privacy during this difficult time.”
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