Beloved ICU nurse, 68, killed in her $700,000 Massachusetts home by schoolboy, 18, who did not know her in completely random attack, prosecutors say
A teenager allegedly climbed through a random woman's window and stabbed her to death in her bed for no apparent reason.
Anthony DeMayo, 18, was found wandering the streets of Lynn, Massachusetts, on Thursday afternoon carrying a bloodstained knife.
Police took him to Salem Hospital because he was behaving erratically and got a search warrant for his home, Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker said.
Inside they found bloodstained clothing that, along with data from DeMayo's phone, led officers to a house in nearby Danvers.
Beloved ICU nurse Janet Swallow, 68, was found stabbed to death in her bed inside the $700,000 Midceentury three-bedroom home on Amherst Street.
DeMayo, a senior at Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody, allegedly told detectives he climbed through Swallow's window on Wednesday night and killed her.
'This was random. There was no connection between the defendant and the victim,' Tucker said.
'This is not only a tragedy for the town, for the school. This is just a very difficult case because of the randomness of this violence.'
Beloved ICU nurse Janet Swallow, 68, was found stabbed to death in her bed
Anthony DeMayo, 18, (center) allegedly told detectives he climbed through Swallow's window and killed her for no apparent reason. He faced court on Friday morning
DeMayo was arrested in hospital and charged with murder that evening.
He faced Salem District Court on Friday morning after an hourlong interview with court psychologist Joyce Perotta.
The teenager had depressive symptoms, including restricted affect, anhedonia, and suicidal ideation, she told the court.
DeMayo was competent enough to understand the court process, but Perotta was concerned about the impact of his mental state on the case.
His lawyer pleaded not guilty on his behalf and he was denied bail and sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for a more thorough mental evaluation before his next court appearance on April 1.
Swallow was an ICU nurse at Lahey Hospital in Burlington and the mother of two sons.
'Janet meant the world to her family and to those who knew her,' a fundraiser for her family read.
'Her kindness, presence, and love for her family left a lasting impact on everyone around her, and her loss has left an unimaginable hole in the hearts of those who loved her.'
Bishop Fenwick High School said it was cooperating fully with local law enforcement.
Swallow was an ICU nurse at Lahey Hospital in Burlington and the mother of two sons
'Janet meant the world to her family and to those who knew her,' a fundraiser for her family read
Swallow was found stabbed to death in her bed inside the three-bedroom home on Amherst Street in Danvers
Danvers Police Chief Jamie Lovell made an extraordinary statement late on Friday afternoon to reassure locals.
'The crime committed against Janet has left many of us stunned and heartbroken. It is the kind of event that causes people to ask difficult questions: How could this happen here? Why Danvers?' he said.
'Those questions are understandable. When something like this happens in a place we call home, it shakes our sense of safety and touches the entire community.'
Lovell said his officers were also struggling with 'that same shock and sadness'.
'Many of us live here, raise our families here, and care deeply about this town. I am a Danvers resident as well, and like so many of you, I believe strongly that everyone should feel safe in their own neighborhood, especially in their own home,' he said.
'Incidents like this are extraordinarily rare in our community, which is why they affect us so deeply. Like every town, however, Danvers is not immune to crime or the unpredictable actions of individuals.
'Even with careful preparation, tragedy cannot always be prevented. Yesterday was a painful reminder of that reality.'
