A triple homicide was committed in
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, th ...
, in the United States, on the evening of September 11, 2011.
Brendan Mess, Erik Weissman, and Raphael Teken were murdered in Mess's apartment. All had their throats slit with such great force that they were nearly
decapitated
Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the au ...
. Thousands of dollars' worth of marijuana and money were left covering their mutilated bodies; in all, $5,000 was left in the apartment. The local district attorney said that it appeared that the killer and the victims knew each other, and that the murders were not random.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev
Tamerlan Anzorovich Tsarnaev (; October 21, 1986 – April 19, 2013)russian: link=no, Тамерла́н Анзо́рович Царна́ев ; ce, Царнаев Анзор-кIант Тамерлан ; ky, Тамерлан Анзор уул ...
, the deceased suspect in the 2013
Boston Marathon bombings
The Boston Marathon bombing was a Domestic terrorism in the United States, domestic terrorist attack that took place during the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Two terrorists, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, plante ...
, had previously described murder victim Brendan Mess as his best friend, though before Mess was murdered there had been animosity between Tsarnaev and Mess over Mess's "lifestyle". After the bombings and subsequent revelations of Tsarnaev's personal life, the Waltham murders case was reexamined in April 2013 with Tsarnaev as a new suspect.
[ Authorities said Tsarnaev and his younger brother ]Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
Dzhokhar "Jahar" Anzorovich Tsarnaev born July 22, 1993)russian: Джоха́р Анзо́рович Царна́ев, link=no ; ce, Царнаев Анзор-кIант ДжовхӀар o; ( Kyrgyz language, Kyrgyz: Жохар Анзор уу ...
may have been responsible for the triple homicide, that forensic evidence connected them to the scene of the killings, and that their cell phone records placed them in the area. While police in the first investigation said that victims were killed on September 12, ''The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'', ''Boston Herald
The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Pulit ...
'', and ''The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' reported that at least one relative of the victims believes that the killings took place on September 11.[
In May 2013, Ibragim Todashev, a 27-year-old Chechen native and former mixed martial arts fighter who knew Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was shot and killed in ]Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
, by law enforcement officers who had been interviewing him about the Waltham murders as well as the Boston Marathon bombings
The Boston Marathon bombing was a Domestic terrorism in the United States, domestic terrorist attack that took place during the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Two terrorists, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, plante ...
. The FBI has alleged that just before he was killed, Todashev made statements implicating both himself and Tamerlan Tsarnaev in the Waltham murders—saying that the initial crime was a drug robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...
, and the murders were committed to prevent being identified by the victims.
Victims
Three men, Brendan Mess (age 25), Erik Weissman (31) and Raphael Teken (37), were discovered murdered in the early afternoon on September 12, 2011. They were found in Mess's apartment at 12 Harding Avenue in Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, th ...
.
All three victims were Jewish according to a number of sources. Other sources have not reported a religion for Mess. Weissman was outspoken about his Jewish faith, and an active member of his synagogue. Teken had majored in history at predominantly Jewish Brandeis University
, mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = NECHE
, president = Ronald D. Liebowitz
, pro ...
; he was buried in Israel.
Mess had been described by Tamerlan Tsarnaev as his best friend. Mess, Weissman, and both Tsarnaev brothers had attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
The Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, also known as CRLS or "Rindge," is a public high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. It is a part of the Cambridge Public School District. In 1977, two separate schools, the Rindge Technical ...
at various times. Mess received a bachelor's degree in professional writing from Champlain College
Champlain College is a private college in Burlington, Vermont. Founded in 1878, Champlain offers on-campus undergraduate and online undergraduate courses through Champlain College Online, along with online certificate and degree programs and ma ...
in 2008.
The three men, who were described as being physically strong, were dragged to or killed in three different rooms. Mess was a well-known mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
fighter, and is listed as a martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
instructor on his death certificate. Teken is listed as a personal trainer on his death certificate.[ Weissman was a bodybuilder.
In 2008, police had pulled Weissman over for failing to yield, and smelled marijuana smoke in his vehicle. He was charged with marijuana possession and intent to distribute. Teken lived in Waltham, where certain neighbors said they believed he was a drug dealer, saying he rarely left the house and had a steady stream of visitors. In 2010, Mess and another man were arrested on charges that they assaulted several people at a store.]
2011 investigation
Autopsies revealed that their throats had been slit from ear to ear with such force that they were nearly decapitated
Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the au ...
. The bodies had been left covered with thousands of dollars' worth of marijuana (seven pounds of marijuana; in what investigators described as a symbolic gesture) and thousands of dollars of cash, in three different rooms. Police found $5,000 in cash at the scene, which suggested that robbery was not the motive.
Police said that the murders were not random. Two unidentified men had been seen at the apartment before the murders. Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone said that it appeared that two unknown perpetrators and the victims knew each other, based on evidence that the police had obtained. It was believed that multiple people other than the victims were at the scene, and that the victims let the killers into their apartment; there was no evidence of forced entry. Neighbors whose windows were open did not hear anything unusual.[
]
2013 investigation developments
''The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' first made the connection of the Tsarnaev brothers to the murders on April 22, 2013, after the Boston Marathon bombing
The Boston Marathon bombing was a domestic terrorist attack that took place during the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Two terrorists, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, planted two homemade pressure cooker bombs, w ...
. The Middlesex County District Attorney's Office stated that it was investigating the possible connection of bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev
Tamerlan Anzorovich Tsarnaev (; October 21, 1986 – April 19, 2013)russian: link=no, Тамерла́н Анзо́рович Царна́ев ; ce, Царнаев Анзор-кIант Тамерлан ; ky, Тамерлан Анзор уул ...
to the murders. ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
reported that authorities believe Tsarnaev may have been responsible for the triple homicide. The Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
(FBI) joined the investigation in April.
Investigators on the Boston Marathon bombing case said Tamerlan Tsarnaev visited Dagestan and neighboring Chechnya for six months following the date of the Waltham murders. They sought to determine whether the killings may have been timed to take place on the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
.
After the Marathon bombing, a Planet Aid
Planet Aid is a non-profit organization headquartered in Elkridge, Maryland. Its primary activity is the collection of clothing and other household items for resale and recycling. Founded in 1997 in Massachusetts, the organization has expanded d ...
driver found discarded fireworks in the Planet Aid donation bin in the parking lot of a restaurant, Gerry's Italian Kitchen, that has been connected in other ways to the Waltham murders case and to the Tsarnaev brothers.[ Police investigators told ABC News that "the gunpowder had been emptied from the fireworks and the shells discarded in a shopping bag inside the bin."][
]
Tamerlan Tsarnaev's connection to the victims
Tamerlan Tsarnaev had formerly described murder victim Brendan Mess, who lived a few blocks from him in Cambridge and was a year younger than Tsarnaev, as his best friend. Tsarnaev had been a regular visitor at Mess's apartment where the murders took place, and authorities believe that they were roommates for a time. Mess also brought Tsarnaev with him to social events and fight events. Investigators believe Tsarnaev was one of the last people to see Mess alive.
Both men were boxers and spent hours training and sparring together, starting in 2009. In 2011, Tsarnaev had introduced Mess to John Allan, owner of Wai Kru Mixed Martial Arts in Allston, describing him as his "best friend".[ Tsarnaev stopped going to the martial arts center after Mess was murdered, and did not return until March 2013, when he unexpectedly visited and acted rudely.]
The website BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
interviewed a man named Ray, who was a friend of Mess and an acquaintance of Tsarnaev. Ray said: "Tam wasn't there at the memorial service, he wasn't at the funeral, he wasn't around at all ... And he was really close with Brendan. That's why it's so weird when he said, 'I don't have any American friends.'" Ray continued: "He was somebody who was in contact with Brendan on a daily basis. Anybody like that you would think they would have been around." Ray did not have any further contact with Tsarnaev after the murders.
One of Mess's relatives confirmed that Tsarnaev was not at Mess's funeral or memorial service. The relative also noted Tsarnaev and Mess had disagreed over Mess's lifestyle choices. On May 10, 2013, Massachusetts investigators were reported to have forensic evidence placing the Tsarnaev brothers at the crime scene.[ Further definitive ]DNA testing
Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...
had to be completed before an indictment
An indictment ( ) is a formal accusation that a legal person, person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felony, felonies, the most serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that do not use the felonies concep ...
against the surviving brother could be considered, according to the officials.[ Officials said cell phone records for that date appeared to put the Tsarnaev brothers in the area of the murders.][
]
Ibragim Todashev interview and death
On May 22, 2013, law enforcement officers, including an FBI special agent from the Boston field office, and two Massachusetts State Police
The Massachusetts State Police (MSP) is an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, responsible for criminal law enforcement and traffic vehicle regulation across the state. As of 10/4/2022, it ...
troopers, interviewed a Chechen immigrant named Ibragim Todashev for approximately eight hours at his apartment in Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
, regarding the Waltham triple murder and his connections to Tamerlan Tsarnaev and other extremists. They said that he implicated both himself and Tamerlan Tsarnaev in the murders during the questioning and was beginning to write a formal statement when he asked to take a break and then suddenly attacked the FBI agent. Todashev was shot multiple times and killed by the officers.[
Todashev was unarmed when he was killed, although initial reports stated that he had a knife.] The agent sustained minor injuries requiring stitches. The FBI established a post-shooting incident-review team to investigate the shooting.
Time of the murders
Based on cell phone usage, police believe the killings took place on the evening of September 11. A call was placed at 8:54 p.m. from Weissman's cell phone to Gerry's Italian Kitchen, a Watertown restaurant, for delivery of three dinner entrees. When a delivery woman arrived at 9:14 p.m., there was no answer at the door, and no one answered when the restaurant called Weissman's cell phone.
See also
* Crime in Massachusetts Crime in Massachusetts refers to crime occurring within the U.S. state of Massachusetts.
Capital punishment laws
Capital punishment is not applied in this state. However, the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts explicitly autho ...
References
Further reading
* Investigative report on the murders and the death of Ibragim Todashev.
* A different version of the above report.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waltham murders
2011 murders in the United States
2011 in Massachusetts
Murder in Massachusetts
Waltham, Massachusetts
History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Crimes in Massachusetts
Criminal duos
Boston Marathon bombing
Unsolved murders in the United States
Attacks in the United States in 2011
September 2011 crimes in the United States
Murdered American Jews