Christopher Ferguson (Courtesy Photo/Facebook)
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NEWTON – In a press conference Monday evening, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced that an arrest had been made in connection with the triple murder on Broadway Street that took place Sunday.
Christopher Ferguson, 41, of Newton, has been charged with murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and burglary.
According to his Facebook profile, Ferguson is a cashier/bagger at Whole Foods who attended Newton High School. Prior jobs listed on Ferguson’s Facebook profile include “paraeducator/campus aide” at Framingham Public School District. He also allegedly worked at Advocates, Inc., a non-profit organization, that, according to its Facebook profile, “champions people who face developmental, mental health, or other life challenges.”
The captions of some photos Ferguson posted of himself on Facebook devolve into non-sensical word salad. For instance, in the caption of a self-described “school photo” – perhaps taken while he worked for the Framingham Public School District – posted to Facebook on December 22, 2021, Ferguson wrote:
“They caught the kid off guard with the mandatory school pictures for students AND staff. Well damn, had I known, I’d have at least made the effort to get cleaned up a bit. Anyhow shout out to the photographer for catching the ever elusive natural smile– a true rarity for someone existing between camera shy and phobic.
They say pictures are tombstones of moments, suggesting that the latter live more richly in the imagination. Though I’ve been one to agree, it’s nice, on occasion, to be reminded of their ephemerence and emotions derived therefrom. In short, I’m happy here.
While I’m team no offspring as I sorely lack the time, energy, money, and patience, the rapscallions keep me on my toes, serving as surrogates (and birth control that rivals vascetomy effectiveness).”
Ryan said during the press conference that Ferguson had no known connection to the victims.
Newton police responded to the Broadway Street home of the victims at about 10:14 a.m. Sunday after an individual known to the victims called 911. The victims were identified by their family members as Lucia Arpino, Jill and Bruno D’Amore. The D’Amore’s were a married couple in their 70s who happened to be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary that weekend, and Arpino, who was in her 90s, was Jill’s mother.
All of the victims died from stab wounds and blunt force trauma. Jill D’Amore – whose autopsy has already been completed – had over 30 injuries largely concentrated on the upper part of her torso and head. The autopsies of the other victims have not yet been completed.
Ryan said that Ferguson is likely to face more charges once those autopsies are complete.
Evidence of forced entry into the basement was discovered by police who responded to the scene. One of the basement windows was open and the screens of several other windows were pried off. The garage door of the residence was also left open.
Authorities say there were signs of struggle in one of the bedrooms where furniture was broken and a crystal paperweight was found covered in blood. A knife with red-brown stains was also found in the kitchen.
Investigators found a bloody bare footprint on a tile in the residence, like fingerprints, footprints can also be used to positively identify suspects.
Police also obtained surveillance footage from the area of 455 Albemarle Road, which is less than a half-mile away from the Broadway Street residence where the victims were located.
The video captured a man without a shirt and shoes walking with a “staggering gait” at about 5:20 a.m. Sunday. Several officers identified the man in the video as Ferguson because he was known to them.
Authorities say that 455 Albemarle Road is about 100 yards away from Ferguson’s Washington Street residence.
Officials obtained a search warrant for Ferguson’s arrest late Monday evening after investigators matched a footprint from a tile in the residence to an impression taken of Ferguson’s feet.
Ferguson was hospitalized following his arrest.
Investigators have not found any evidence so far to connect Ferguson with an attempted break-in that allegedly took place near the victim’s home recently.
Ferguson is going to be arraigned either Tuesday or Wednesday.
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That facebook comment was not “nonsensical word salad”. In fact, we are reading posts of a very articulate young man. Sad
Rus, I agree that he sounds highly intelligent, but to me – it appears that he may have schizophrenia because by the end he’s making up words, using words out of context and making illogical statements.