Man Charged in Connection with February Death of Springfield Woman
WESTFORD - Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Westford Chief of Police Thomas McEnaney have announced that a Middlesex County Grand Jury has directly indicted Daniel Perras, 56, of Easthampton, on the charges of improper disposal of a human body, destruction of evidence and being a habitual criminal in connection with the death of Melissa Mestre, 38, of Springfield, who was found along Providence Road in Westford on February 2, 2019.
As a result of the investigation into this matter, police learned that on January 31, 2019, Mr. Perras allegedly picked Ms. Mestre up from her Springfield home and drove her to the Haverhill area. During the trip the victim began to experience symptoms of a drug overdose, became unresponsive and subsequently died. After realizing Ms. Mestre was dead, the defendant allegedly got off the highway in Westford and left Ms. Mestre’s body on an embankment along the side of the road. The defendant allegedly then disposed of the victim’s personal belongings off the French King Bridge in Erving before returning to western Massachusetts.
“This indictment reflects months of collaborative investigative work,” said District Attorney Ryan. “This defendant acted with complete disregard for Ms. Mestre’s wellbeing, travelling past a fire station where they could have received help, and then leaving her body on the side of the road. Furthermore, the defendant’s actions to conceal the crime resulted in a lengthy investigation that left Ms. Mestre’s family without answers for months. Westford Police and the Massachusetts State Police assigned to my office have been unwavering in their focus on this case which resulted in the charges we are announcing today.”
“I am grateful to the dedicated work of the police officers who never gave up on this case,” said Chief McEnaney. “This was a lengthy and complicated investigation conducted by our Westford Officers in collaboration with Massachusetts State Police and the District Attorney’s Office. I commend the officers who worked tirelessly on this case to provide some answers to Ms. Mestre’s family and hold Mr. Perras accountable for his actions.”
On February 2, 2019 at approximately 11:41 a.m. Westford Police responded to the area of 104 Providence Road for a report of a body located along the embankment. Upon arrival police located Ms. Mestre but were unable to identify her at the time. Police immediately began an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death based on the location and because Ms. Mestre was not dressed in appropriate clothing for the cold temperatures. The case was referred to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner who positively identified Ms. Mestre using her fingerprints and determined that she died from an overdose.
Daniel Perras was arrested today without incident at his Easthampton home by the Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, Westford Police, and Easthampton Police. This investigation was conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Westford Police and Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the District Attorneys’ Office.
Mr. Perras was indicted on October 1, 2019 and will be arraigned today in the Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn.
These charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty
The Assistant District Attorney assigned to this case is Daniel Harren.