New Bedford Gang Member Convicted of 2017 Double Murder
Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
Thomas M. Quinn III
District Attorney
Press Release
June 21, 2023
A 40-year-old New Bedford gang member will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted by a jury of his peers Tuesday afternoon of the execution-style slaying of two men in October of 2017, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
Carmelo Kercado Jr. was convicted of two counts of First Degree Murder and illegal firearm charges. He was immediately sentenced to consecutive lifetime prison sentences with no possibility of parole.
The case was prosecuted by Co-First Assistant District Attorney Karen O’Sullivan and Chief of the Homicide Unit, Dennis Collins.
At around 1:19 am on October 10, 2017, Kercado was riding in the back seat of a car being driven by Stephen Bodden, 27. Fabio Tavares, 28, was in the front passenger seat.
Evidence at trial showed Bodden and Tavares met up with the defendant at the Whiskey Lounge between 11 p.m. and midnight on October 9, 2017 and that the three left together shortly after 1 am on October 10, 2017. The vehicle they were in traveled north on Acushnet Avenue and then west on Central Avenue before the victims were gunned down and the car crashed into a parked vehicle.
Bodden was shot six times, including three shots to his head. Tavares was shot five times. He was shot in the back, in his thigh and in his hand.
Two civilian witnesses and surveillance video were crucial to the successful prosecution of the case.
After the homicide, the defendant fled the state but was tracked down in late December of 2017 in Concord, NC.
“I want to thank the jury for holding the defendant accountable for the execution of two young men who didn’t deserve to die that way. This was premeditated street violence at its worst. The defendant was well known to the authorities over the years and was previously acquitted of murder in 2015,” District Attorney Quinn said. “I would also like to thank the two civilian witnesses for their courage in testifying, which was critical to a conviction. This case highlights the importance of surveillance video which is helpful to proving these types of cases. Although the motive for the killings remains unclear, it may be connected to previous criminal activity. I am grateful to the prosecution team and investigators for their hard work on this case.”
Contact:
Gregg Miliote
Director of Communications
774-292-9576