New Bedford Homicide Update
Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
Thomas M. Quinn III
District Attorney
Press Release
July 28, 2021
A second individual was arrested late last night in connection to the ongoing investigation into the Tuesday morning homicide of 18-year-old, Rayshard Normil-Jerome.
A 16-year-old male has been charged with Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon. The juvenile is scheduled to be arraigned sometime today in New Bedford Juvenile Court. Due to his juvenile status, no further information can be released about his identity or the facts surrounding the criminal charge.
The juvenile male is the second defendant charged in connection to the active probe. On Tuesday, investigators charged Latrell Baskin, 21, of New Bedford with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The defendant is being held without bail pending the results of an August 6th Dangerousness Hearing in New Bedford District Court.
Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office, New Bedford Police, and Homicide Unit prosecutors are actively investigating a homicide, which occurred early Tuesday morning in The City of New Bedford. The victim of the homicide can now be publicly identified as Rayshard Normil-Jerome, 18 of New Bedford.
While on patrol in the vicinity of Clasky Common Park at around 1:24 a.m., a Massachusetts State Police Trooper assigned to the Dartmouth Barracks observed an unidentified female attempting to gain his attention. The female advised the trooper of a male lying unresponsive in Clasky Common Park. The trooper made his way to the reported location where he observed the victim lying unresponsive and suffering from multiple stab wounds. The trooper requested immediate medical assistance via his portable radio and an ambulance from New Bedford EMS was dispatched to the scene. After assessing the victim, New Bedford EMS transported the victim to the emergency department of Saint Luke’s Hospital for further life-saving measures.
Mr. Normil-Jerome was declared deceased at 2:02 a.m.
The investigation remains active and ongoing, and no further comment can be made at this time.
Contact:
Gregg Miliote
Director of Communications
774-292-9576