Fall River Man Arrested and Charged in Connection to Monday Taunton Homicide

Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
Thomas M. Quinn III
District Attorney

Press Release
March 18, 2016

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III and Taunton Police Chief Edward Walsh announced tonight the arrest of a 22-year-old Fall River man for the Monday homicide of Vannessa Courtney.

Taunton Police and Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to this office this evening around 6:45 p.m. arrested James Souza at a home on Stevens Street in Taunton. Mr. Souza, of 404 Brayton Avenue in Fall River is being charged with murder and armed robbery.

Taunton Police received a 911 call around 5:47 p.m. Monday from a a woman who said she came home from work to find her girlfriend deceased inside their apartment. When police responded to 9 Morton Street, they found the female victim deceased, the victim of a stabbing or slashing to the throat. The victim was identified as Vannessa Courtney, 23, of the same address.

Mr. Souza and Ms. Courtney were known to each other, although further details about the ongoing investigation and the facts of the case can not be disseminated prior to arraignment. The defendant will be held in jail during the course of the weekend, and is slated to be arraigned in Taunton District Court Monday morning.

Assistant District Attorney Katie Rayburn, the deputy chief of the homicide unit, is coordinating the investigation.

No further information will be released prior to the defendant’s arraignment.
Contact:
Gregg Miliote
Director of Communications
508-997-0711
774-292-9576—cell