Two city councilors are calling for Lawrence (MA) Police Chief James Fitzpatrick to resign in the wake of a teenager’s beheading, according to the Eagle-Tribune.
Lee Manuel Viloria-Paulino, 16, was found dead on the banks of the Merrimack River on Thursday by a woman walking her dog two weeks after his family reported him missing.
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Now, the Eagle-Tribune reported, two city counselors, Modesto Maldonado and Brian De Pena, are calling on Fitzpartick to resign, saying the Police Department did little to help search for Viloria-Paulino.
Fitzpatrick released a statement Wednesday afternoon and said that’s not true.
“Nothing we say as police officers will erase the unimaginable pain that a Lawrence family is experiencing with the loss of their loved one,” he said. “The Lawrence Police Department took this case seriously from the onset. We are required to look at all possible scenarios in putting together an investigation.”
Fitzpatrick said he believes the suspect, Mathew Borges, 15, deliberately misled police and sent them in the wrong direction.
Fitzpatrick said the department will debrief and examine actions taken during the investigation, and will compare that to state and national best practices in a transparent manner.
Borges is being held in jail without bail on a murder charge after pleading not guilty at his arraignment.
Authorities said Viloria-Paulino’s forearms were also cut off, but it’s unknown if they were recovered. Viloria-Paulino’s head was near his body.