Wilbert Nieves during his arraignment in Leominster District Court on Thursday, June 1. (Courtesy Photo: Rick Cinclair/Telegram & Gazette)
0
1
LEOMINSTER – An arrest has been made for the murder of a 19-year-old man whose decomposing body was found in the corner of a parking lot on Industrial Drive two years ago.
According to Craig S. Semon of the Telegram & Gazette, Wilbert Nieves, 25, of Fitchburg, was arraigned in Leominster District Court on June 1 after a few acquaintances of his came forward to police with accurate details about the murder and body disposal that Nieves allegedly told them.
On May 12, 2021, police were dispatched to 46 Industrial Road after a passerby called 911 to report that there was a decomposing body covered in debris near the catch basin in the corner of the parking lot.
According to a report filed by State Police Trooper Chad Smith, in the parking lot, police found the decomposing body covered with trash bags, a blanket, dirt and rocks.
Investigators fingerprinted the body and identified the victim as Franklin Mane, a 19-year-old Worcester resident. Mane was reported missing to Worcester Police on March 24, 2021. He was last seen alive 18 days earlier on March 6. Investigators believe the murder took place in Worcester as well.
State medical examiner Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello, who performed Mane’s autopsy, ruled the cause of death was from gunshot wounds to the torso.
Two of Nieves’ acquaintances came forward following the discovery of Mane’s body.
The first acquaintance – who was known to the Commonwealth – went to the Leominster Police Department on May 13, 2021, to report that Nieves was the murderer. The second acquaintance gave police more detailed information during two interviews on Oct. 13, 2021 and Jan. 27, 2022.
The second acquaintance – who was also known to the Commonwealth – told police that Nieves said he shot a man in the head and body. He added that Nieves also explained how he disposed of the body, and that description was consistent with what police later discovered.
Judge Mark Noonan entered a not guilty plea for Nieves during his arraignment in Leominster District Court on Thursday, with Mane’s father in attendance.
Prior to his arraignment, Nieves was in custody in a Massachusetts jail on unrelated firearms charges. He was held without bail following his arraignment.
Prior incidents on Nieves’ record include an October 2018 charge of making a bomb/hijacking threat for threatening to shoot employees at a business he was fired from. According to the Telegram & Gazette, the charge was changed to threatening to commit a crime on Jan. 14, 2019, and was continued without a finding.
In addition, on Jan. 31, 2020, Nieves was found guilty of a parole violation after he was charged with a multitude of firearms offenses in Worcester District Court, including: carrying a loaded firearm without a license, possession of a large-capacity firearm, improper storage of a firearm, and possession of ammunition without an FID card.
Nieves’ next court appearance in Leominster District Court is scheduled for July 28, unless he is indicted by the Worcester District Court prior to that time, Judge Noonan said.
Disclaimer: The product links on this page are Amazon Affiliate links. Prices have not been inflated for my benefit, but if you do purchase any of these products, I may receive a commission.
About Author
