WORCESTER — On Thursday, September 18, a Worcester County Superior Court jury found Joshua Hubert, 43, of Worcester, guilty for kidnapping and strangling a 7-year-old girl before throwing her off an I-290 bridge into Lake Quinsigamond on August 27, 2017.
According to a statement from Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr., after a multi-day trial, Hubert was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder, one count of strangulation, and one count of kidnapping a child.
He was acquitted of one count of aggravated rape of a child with force and one count of aggravated rape of a child with a five-year age difference.
On August 26, 2017, Hubert attended a cookout with the victim’s family. In the early hours of the following morning, he kidnapped the 7-year-old girl, strangled her, and threw her off a bridge over Lake Quinsigamond.
The girl survived the fall, swam to shore, and sought help at a nearby home on the Shrewsbury side of the lake, prompting an investigation by Shrewsbury and Worcester police and Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
“Our prosecutors, Assistant District Attorneys Mark McShera and Emily Meyers, did a terrific job prosecuting this case, and Victim Witness Advocate Maria Deyette supported the victim and her family throughout the process. I want to thank the Shrewsbury and Worcester Police Departments for their excellent work,” Worcester County District Attorney Early said. “I also want to commend this survivor for her tremendous bravery and strength while testifying.”
“The Worcester Police Department’s Special Crimes Unit and District Attorney Joe Early demonstrated remarkable dedication in their pursuit of justice. We are deeply grateful for their efforts on behalf of the victim and their family,” said Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier.
Hubert is scheduled to be sentenced by Worcester Superior Court Judge Karin Bell on October 3, 2025.
