Witness comes forward in South Boston drug slay decades after murder: DA

Testimony from a brand new witness earlier this 12 months supplied the break investigators say they wanted to arrest the alleged shooter in a 38-year-old cold-case homicide tied to Southie crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger.

In a courtroom stuffed with family and friends of the sufferer, Suffolk Assistant District Legal professional John Verner laid out a sordid story of an alleged cold-blooded homicide that stemmed from the sufferer’s acquaintance with a drug vendor who had ratted out one other angel mud vendor to Bulger, who in flip demanded a minimize of the hallucinogenic drug’s income.

The suspect, Michael Lewis, 61, was arrested final Friday and charged with the July 1984 homicide of Brian Watson, 23, whose decomposed physique was discovered two months afterward the aspect of a New Hampshire freeway.

Lewis, who was arraigned out of public view, pleaded not responsible and was held with out bail throughout a clerk Justice of the Peace’s listening to held in Suffolk Superior Courtroom on Tuesday.

“We had a glimpse within the courtroom right this moment of a really completely different Boston — a Boston that we are able to by no means permit to occur once more,” stated Suffolk District Legal professional Kevin Hayden. “After practically 40 years, we’re reminded of the mayhem and homicide inflicted by cold-hearted and corrupt, merciless males.

“This was gang violence and systematic extortion at an evil excessive,” the DA added. “This was a younger father minimize down by an setting of worry — worry created by a gang influenced by James ‘Whitey’ Bulger.”

Angered by the drug vendor who snitched on him, the person, an angel mud vendor referred to by Verner as Witness One, allegedly enlisted Lewis, 24 on the time, to threaten the opposite vendor and persuade him to depart Boston, Verner stated.

Bulger had demanded that Witness One pay $5,000 instantly and $1,000 per week “as the price of doing enterprise in South Boston,” Verner stated.

Whereas driving round South Boston on July 16 or 17 of 1984 on the lookout for the drug vendor, Witness One and Lewis bumped into one other angel mud vendor — Watson — who advised the pair he knew the place the vendor was and jumped into the again seat of the automobile to assist search for him, Verner stated.

“Throughout that experience, Michael Lewis, who had a semi-automatic firearm with him, rotated and shot Brian Watson a number of instances, killing him,” stated Verner.

The pair drove to New Hampshire to dump the physique behind some timber on the aspect of I-93 south. Watson’s decomposed physique was found by a married couple two months later; the sufferer, who had been reported lacking by his mom, was recognized by means of dental information, Verner stated.

From 1984 on, New Hampshire, Manchester and Boston Police labored the case, however it wasn’t till this previous 12 months that investigators received their massive break when one other witness got here ahead with new data.

The witness advised Boston and Suffolk DA investigators that he knew Lewis and over time had heard him discuss “his involvement within the taking pictures and killing of Brian Watson,” Verner stated.

“This case hearkens again to a really completely different period within the metropolis of Boston and I feel it’s a stark reminder that whereas Hollywood and others might are likely to glorify that period, the legal actors of that period weren’t Robin Hoods, they weren’t heroes,” stated New Hampshire Legal professional Normal John Formella.

“The human struggling and the toll that was taken from the legal acts dedicated throughout that period are nonetheless being felt right this moment.”

Lewis’ legal professional, Jamie Sultan, questioned why the DA’s workplace had not talked about any costs that the primary witness could also be dealing with within the murder.

Lewis returns to courtroom on July 7.