For Immediate Release May 21, 2008
Contact: Corey Welford/Jessica Venezia 781-897-8325
Lowell Man Arrested In California In Connection With 1994 Lowell Murder
LOWELL – Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public today that a Lowell man has been arrested in California in connection with the March 1994 shooting death of Mark Jones, 21, of Lowell.
Shawn Lessieur, 35 of Lowell, was arrested in Alameda, California, on an outstanding Middlesex County warrant for a charge of murder. He was arraigned in Alameda County where he was ordered held with out bail. He has not waived extradition and the Commonwealth has begun the necessary steps to have Lessieur returned to Massachusetts to stand for his charges.
“This office does not and will not forget the victims of unsolved homicides,” District Attorney Leone said. “Mark Jones was shot and killed more than 14 years ago, and the Lowell Police Department and our office continued to work this case together until we had the evidence to charge the people responsible for his murder.”
It is alleged that Lessieur was the shooter in the murder of Jones. A second man, Nolyn Surprenant, 30, of Methuen, was also indicted in 2006 on murder charges in connection with Jones’ death. Authorities allege that Surprenant was a joint venturer in the murder.
According to authorities, at approximately 12:25 a.m. on March 18, 1994, Lowell Police responded to a report of an injured man in the area of 1910 Skyline Drive. Upon arrival at the scene, police found Mark Jones evidencing gunshot wounds to the head. Emergency medical personnel transported Jones to Lowell General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Lowell Police contacted State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, and together they commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.
Later in the day on March 18, 1994, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (ME) conducted an autopsy on Jones. The ME found the cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds to the head, and ruled the death a homicide.
After several months of investigation into the homicide, authorities were not able to make an arrest at the time. Upon further investigation by Lowell Police and State Police, a warrant was obtained for the arrest of Surprenant on May 23, 2006. Surprenant turned himself in to the Lowell Police Department, and he was arraigned on May 24, 2006, in Lowell District Court. He entered a plea of not guilty and was ordered held on $500,000 cash bail by Judge Michael Brooks.
Surprenant was indicted on June 29, 2006 on first degree murder charge. He was arraigned in Lowell Superior Court on July 14, 2006, and ordered held without bail by Judge Kenneth Fishman.
Lowell Police and State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office continued to investigate to determine the identity of the alleged shooter. On May 8, 2008, authorities obtained an arrest warrant for Lessieur. Lessieur was arrested on that warrant on May 16, 2008.
Authorities allege that Surprenant was the individual that drove Lessieur to and from the crime scene, and that he had knowledge at that time that Lessieur was planning to and did in fact kill Mark Jones.
District Attorney Leone has placed a priority on investigating and solving older, unsolved cases. When District Attorney Leone took office in 2007, he established an “unsolved homicide” system assigning teams of ADAs, Victim Witness Advocates and investigators to take a fresh look at older cases and determine if new developments and technologies could help solve them.
The prosecutor assigned to this case is Assistant District Attorney Thomas O’Reilly. The victim witness advocate is Dottie Berrios. The case was investigated by Lowell Police and State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
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