Brave pregnant woman, 25, who tried to flee clutches of 'domestic abuser' boyfriend by having him jailed meets horrific fate at hands of his vengeful relative
A pregnant woman was found stabbed to death in her apartment while her husband was in custody for allegedly assaulting her - and the man's brother is now the primary suspect.
Brianna Welsh, 25, was found dead at the residence in Lynn, Massachusetts, last Wednesday - a day after she called cops to report that her live-in boyfriend, Brendon Vozzella, had punched her in the stomach.
That revelation was offered up in court on Thursday by Assistant District Attorney Kate MacDougall, along with the fact Welsh had been pregnant with Brendon's baby. His brother, Zachary, was there as well, after a probe deemed him the primary suspect.
The 26-year-old had been living with Welsh and his younger brother in the apartment, and is now charged with murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the apparent stabbing.
Welsh was found with multiple 'sharp force injuries' after her family requested a well-being check after not hearing from her, leading cops to cuff Zachary. His 24-year-old brother has been cleared of any wrongdoing relating to the murder.
Brianna Welsh, 25, was found dead at the residence in Lynn, Massachusetts, last Wednesday. She was three months pregnant
The discovery came a day after she called cops to report that her live-in boyfriend, Brendon Vozzella, 24, had punched her in the stomach. He was arrested that day, and is believed to have been incarcerated when the murder occurred
'The tragic violence that has taken the life of Brianna Welsh and her unborn child has created an unbearable loss for her family,' said Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker in a statement Thursday.
'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.'
Earlier in the day, Zachary pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail until his next hearing - slated for September.
A day earlier, the day Welsh was killed, his brother was arraigned on charges of assault and battery on a pregnant woman and assault and battery on a family member.
His day in court came Tuesday, though the outcome of that hearing remains unclear.
Zachary was also present at the time of the alleged assault, police wrote in an arrest report - writing that he was homeless and had been living with the couple for the past few months.
After allegedly being punched, Welsh went to Salem Hospital - telling police she was three months pregnant and wanted to get checked out, the report read.
She made it back to her building at 6:15 pm, key fob data showed.
The prime suspect is Brendon's older brother Zachary, 26, who is seen here in court Thursday after being charged with Welsh's murder. He is being held without bail until his next hearing in September
Zachary was also present at the time of the alleged assault, police wrote in an arrest report - writing that he was homeless and had been living with the couple for the past few months
Information extracted by the electronic device further revealed how the door was opened from the inside at 8:06 pm, before being locked from the outside ten minutes later.
The door would not open again until maintenance workers administered the welfare check more than 12 hours later.
During that span, Brendon was released from his incarceration, but never returned to the apartment, cops wrote.
Upon being interviewed that day, Zachary told investigators he had not seen Welsh since she left for the hospital, and that he had been at a Dunkin' Donuts on Tuesday from 4 pm to 7 pm.
Cops found that to be false, with video from the establishment not showing him there at that time.
He later owned up to being at the apartment on Tuesday between 2:30 and 8:30pm cops said - revealing how the suspect claimed Welsh was not there at all during that time.
He instead said that around 8:30 pm, he left with a duffel bag and backpack to take an Uber to another apartment where he planned to stay.
Surveillance footage secured by police, however, showed him carrying much more than than that - two backpacks, a duffel bag, a trash bag and a smaller plastic bag, police wrote.
Welsh was pregnant with Brendon's baby, but he has been cleared of any wrongdoing surrounding her murder. He was charged with assault and battery on a pregnant woman and assault and battery on a family member instead. Cops' investigation remains ongoing
When cops proceeded to search the residence where he claimed he stayed, they found a trash bag containing a paper bag with a bloody kitchen knife - one that matched a set of cutlery kept at Welsh and his brother's apartment.
Officers also found a pair of shorts and a sock stained with dried blood, along with the two key fobs assigned to Welsh's apartment.
Investigators went on to air their belief that Welsh was killed while her boyfriend was in police custody.
Their investigation, as of writing, remains ongoing.
