For Immediate Release July 31, 2008                                  
Contact: Corey Welford/Jessica Venezia 781-897-8325

Opening Statements To Begin In Wakefield Double Homicide Trial

WOBURN – Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public today that opening statements are scheduled to begin in the murder trial of Commonwealth vs. Sean Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick, 46, of Freedom, NH, is charged with murder (2 counts) and illegal possession of a shotgun in connection with the deaths of Michael Zammitti, Jr., age 39, and Chester Roberts, age 54, both of Wakefield.

A jury has been empaneled and opening statements are scheduled to begin at approximately 11:30 a.m. in Middlesex Superior Court, Courtroom 730, 200 Tradecenter, Woburn, before Judge Kathe Tuttman.

According to authorities, just after 8:00 a.m., on Monday, March 13, 2006, Wakefield Police responded to a 911 call from an individual at Allstate Concrete Pumping, located at 17 New Salem Street, reporting an unconscious male.  Upon arrival at the scene, police discovered the body of Roberts on the first floor of the building, and that of Zammitti in a second floor office.  They were both pronounced dead at the scene.  Zammitti was the owner of Allstate Concrete Pumping and Roberts was a longtime employee of the company.

Wakefield Police contacted State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and together they initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Authorities were able to determine that the shooting occurred sometime between 7:30 a.m. and 8:05 a.m. on March 13, 2006.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (ME) completed autopsies on both victims on March 14, 2006.  The ME found the cause of death for Zammitti to be a gunshot wound to the head, and the cause of death for Roberts to be a gunshot wound to the back.  The ME ruled both deaths homicides.

After an exhaustive three-month investigation, authorities allege that Fitzpatrick drove to Wakefield from New Hampshire on March 13 and shot the two victims.  Fitzpatrick was a friend and neighbor of the Zammitti family, who owned a summer home in New Hampshire.  Authorities believe that Fitzpatrick was interested in pursuing a relationship with Zammitti’s wife. 

New Hampshire State Police arrested Fitzpatrick without incident at his place of employment in Madison, NH, at approximately 12:00 p.m. on June 6, 2006.  He was arraigned as a fugitive from justice later that afternoon in the Northern District Court of Carroll County in North Conway, NH.  At that time, Fitzpatrick declined to waive rendition, and was held pending a probable cause hearing scheduled for June 20, 2006.  When brought into court for that hearing on June 20, Fitzpatrick waived rendition.

State Police and Wakefield Police transported Fitzpatrick back to Massachusetts later that afternoon.  He was booked and held overnight at the Wakefield Police Department.  Fitzpatrick was arraigned on June 21, 2006, in Cambridge District Court before Judge Michele Hogan.  At arraignment, he pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail.  On August 17, 2006, the Grand Jury returned indictments against Fitzpatrick.  On September 7, 2006, Fitzpatrick was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge before Judge Nancy Staffier Holtz.  At arraignment he entered a plea of not guilty, and was ordered held without bail. 

These charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The prosecution team is lead by Assistant District Attorney Dan Bennett and includes Deputy District Attorney Denise Casper and paralegal Jen Bills. The victim witness advocate is Lesia Schymonowytsch.

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