For Immediate Release November 27, 2007                                           

Contact: Corey Welford/Jessica Venezia 617-679-6522 

Winchester Man Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter Charges In Connection With Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision That Killed Two

CAMBRIDGE – Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone’s office informed the public today that a Winchester man has pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter in connection with a motor vehicle collision that resulted in the deaths of John J. McGeehan, age 64, of Winchester, and Julie Kent, age 53, of Winchester.

Alan Robbins, age 51, of Winchester, pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of involuntary manslaughter in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge. Judge Thomas Connors sentenced the defendant to 3 ½ to 6 years in state prison on count one with five years probation from and after his sentence on count two. Conditions also include a stipulation to the lifetime loss of license, continued psychiatric treatment, and continued compliance in taking prescribed medications.

“By pleading guilty, the defendant has admitted his responsibility for the tragic deaths of John McGeehan and Julie Kent,” District Attorney Leone said. “While this conviction brings this case to a close, our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims’ families who must continue to deal with loss of their loved ones.”

According to authorities, at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13, 2006, McGeehan was driving a Porsche Boxter with Kent as a passenger. They were traveling westbound on South Border Road in the town of Winchester. As they were in the vicinity of Leslie Road in Winchester, they observed a Toyota Corolla being driven by the defendant heading towards them in their lane of travel. Given the brush and trees on the right side of the road, McGeehan had no ability to avoid the collision with the Toyota. The Toyota struck the Porsche in the right front driver’s side.

State Police from the Medford Barracks responded to the scene.  McGeehan was pronounced dead at the scene and Kent was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.  She was pronounced dead there on Wednesday, June 21, 2006.

When questioned at the scene, Robbins told EMTs that he wanted to commit suicide and was driving as fast as he could until he hit something. He was subsequently transported to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and later transferred to a facility in Natick for further treatment.

After further investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis Unit, there was no indication that the defendant ever applied his breaks or took any evasive action to avoid the collision. Troopers placed the defendant’s vehicle several feet across the double line at the point of impact.    
       
Robbins was placed under arrest upon his release from a medical facility in Natick at approximately 9:00 a.m. on June 23, 2006.  He was booked at the State Police Barracks in Medford, and transported to Cambridge District Court for arraignment.  (Due to a judge’s conference, there was no judge in Woburn District Court, so the case was arraigned in Cambridge.)  At that time, he was charged with two counts of manslaughter.  He pleaded not guilty and was ordered held on $5,000 bail.  Because the defendant was ordered to undergo a competency evaluation, Judge Hogan later rescinded that bail with the stipulation that it may be argued at a later date. 

On June 29, 2006, a Middlesex Grand Jury returned indictments of second degree murder (two counts) and motor vehicle homicide (two counts) against Robbins.  Robbins was arraigned on July 17, 2006 in courtroom 8B of the Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge before Judge Elizabeth Fahey.  At arraignment Robbins entered a plea of not guilty and was ordered held on $50,000 bail. 

The prosecutor assigned to this case was Assistant District Attorney Kerry Ahern. The victim witness advocates were Dora Quiroz and Daniela Bianco.
 

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