A pregnant Massachusetts woman’s family is mourning her loss after authorities allege she was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend’s brother.
According to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, 25-year-old Brianna Welsh, who was reportedly about three months pregnant, was found dead at her Lynn, Mass., apartment on Wednesday, July 31.
The DA’s office alleged that just one day before Welsh was discovered dead, her ex-boyfriend, Brendon Vozzella, was arrested by Lynn Police after they received a report of alleged domestic violence.
Assistant District Attorney Kate MacDougall said in court Thursday, Aug. 1, that Brendon allegedly punched his ex-girlfriend in the stomach and was subsequently taken into police custody around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, while Welsh was taken to a nearby hospital, NBC10 Boston reported. Welsh returned home to the apartment a few hours later, getting home by 6:15 p.m., while Brendon remained in police custody, the outlet added.
Gofundme
Zachary Vozzella, Brendon’s 26-year-old brother, had been staying with the couple, and allegedly came back to the apartment while Welsh was home, MacDougall said, according to the Boston Globe, WHDH and NBC10. Zachary allegedly stabbed Welsh to death, leaving her with multiple stab wounds, prosecutors claimed, according to the outlets.
Brendon never returned to the apartment after his arrest and police do not believe he killed Welsh, prosecutors added, per WHDH.
As the investigation continued, CBS News Boston, NBC10 and WHDH reported, prosecutors alleged that police eventually found bloody clothes and a kitchen knife in a trash bag in another apartment where Zachary had also been staying.
According to the DA’s office, Brendon was arraigned on Wednesday on one count of assault and battery on a household member and one count of assault and battery upon a pregnant person. He’s next due in court on Tuesday, August 6. It’s not clear if he has entered pleas or retained an attorney.
On Thursday, Zachary pleaded not guilty to one count of murder and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in Lynn District Court and was held without bail, the DA’s office added.
Zachary’s attorney, Francisco Napolitano, told WHDH that he denies killing anyone. Zachary is set to appear in court for a pre-trial probable cause hearing on Sept. 10, court records show.
In a statement, Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said, “The tragic violence that has taken the life of Brianna Welsh and her unborn child has created an unbearable loss for her family. While their loss cannot be repaired or remedied, I hope that our efforts to seek justice on her behalf assures them that we and the community support them.”
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Following Welsh’s death, her family established a GoFundMe page to raise money for her funeral expenses. In the description of the fundraiser, Claudia Welsh wrote that the 25-year-old was excited to have her baby.
“We are raising funds to help memorialize our beautiful daughter, Brianna E. Welsh, also known as Bri Bri, and her unborn child,” the GoFundMe description reads. “Brianna was looking forward this week to find out and share with her family and friends if her baby was going to be a boy or a girl.”
“Tragically, she has been taken from us, murdered in her own home. We are all lost without her,” the page continues. “She was a bright shining star, that went out before her time.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
