Man Charged With Misleading Police In West Brookfield Murder Investigation
WEST BROOKFIELD (CBS) – Weeks after a mother and her three children were murdered in Central Mass., there's an arrest linked to the investigation. Police say 31-year-old Matthew Locke of Ware is accused of misleading police. Investigators have not charged him with the killings.
Investigators have said precious little about the murders in a West Broookfield home earlier this month. Locals are hoping the arrest of Locke means that some real progress is being made in the case.
Locke was arraigned Monday afternoon for misleading homicide investigators.
His neighbors say State Police swarmed his house on Eddy Street in Ware Friday where he lives with his mother. "It looked like they were taking some pictures, going through the trash," neighbor Dave Gambino said.
Sara Bermudez and her three children -- ages 8, 6, and 2 -- were murdered in their house on Old Warren Road. Husband and father Moses Bermudez was working in California at the time.
Police say Locke is an acquaintance who's been questioned several times, telling detectives that shortly before the killings, Moses Bermudez told him to "pay attention to the news" because anyone associated with the infamous Salvadoran gang MS-13 was going to "get hurt and die."
Police now say there was no such conversation and wonder why Locke concocted the story. Whether Locke's arrest is merely a detour or signals a police focus on him is not clear.
Locke remains in jail with bail set at $10,000 cash. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 24th.
Image from Telegram.com