The Newton Police Department (NPD) arrested Newton resident Christopher Ferguson on Monday in connection with a triple murder in Nonantum, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced during a press conference.
Ryan said the attack appears to be random, and there is no clear connection between Ferguson and the victims—husband and wife Bruno and Jill D’Amore, as well as Jill’s mother, Lucia Arpino.
“We’re very thankful to the residents of the Nonantum and Newtonville neighborhoods, who spoke freely and were incredibly helpful to the investigators,” she said. “This was a careful, thoughtful, and relentless investigation.”
The NPD charged Ferguson with one count of murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and burglary, according to a release from the police department.
Police officers first went to the Nonantum home on Sunday morning after receiving a 911 call from a friend of the deceased victims, according to Ryan. The victims all suffered stab wounds and blunt force trauma, she said.
Bruno and Jill D’Amore planned to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday, and they were due to attend mass at Sacred Heart and Our Lady’s Collaborative in Newton, according to Ryan.
During the search for the perpetrator, the NPD deployed additional resources to assist with finding any suspects and maintaining a level of safety in the city, a release from the NPD read.
John Carmichael, chief of the NPD, said Newton neighborhoods are now safer because of the hard work and dedication exhibited by members of the Newton Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Massachusetts state police.
“This was an incredible show of collaboration and partnership that reached a very successful conclusion,” Carmichael said at a press conference on Monday night.
