Heartbroken community mourns family murdered in Newton
NEWTON – Inside Our Lady Help of Christians church in Newton, a heartbroken community leaned on each other like family. The horrific murders of three family members was weighing heavily.
"It could have been anyone's grandmother, anyone's aunt, or uncle, or cousin," said Dan Hurney, who attended the memorial mass.
Gilda D'Amore, 73, her 74-year-old husband Bruno and Gilda's 97-year-old mother Lucia Arpino were honored.
"They were my neighbors and I think that the community is really, really reeling from this," said Faith Justice, the victims' neighbor.
"An attack on one person, is an attack on everyone," said Alex Jablon, who attended the mass. "We're a close community, you look out for our neighbors."
The church is where the family devoted so much of the time and faith helping the community.
"Tonight, I think we will just be with each other, support each other on a heart level," said the church's pastor Fr. Dan Riley said.
The family was found brutally stabbed and beaten to death in their home on Broadway Sunday morning. They had missed the 50th wedding anniversary celebration for Gilda and Bruno at their church.
"Lucia was an incredibly lovely, sweet woman. And to think at 97 that that's what happened to her is really, really sad," Justice said.
The mass happened the same day 41-year-old Christopher Ferguson was charged in the random attack. In court, Ferguson's lawyer pleaded not guilty on his behalf. He only showed up on video and not in full view of the public.
A devastated family clutched each other in court, after hearing gruesome details about the deaths.
The community is now focusing on remembering a family that left such an impact. Father Dan Riley sharing a treasured memory of Gilda.
"I shouldn't share that, but I called her the pope she was that good, she was just a loving, wonderful, beautiful person," Riley said. "My grandmothers are in heaven but if I could have a third one, I would ask for her."
