Crime
Prosecutors reportedly mentioned Eric Griffin beat and strangled Jennifer Kalicki after which left her to die of their mattress.
A jury discovered a 43-year-old Tewksbury man responsible of murdering his girlfriend of their condominium almost 4 years in the past on Wednesday.
A Middlesex Superior Courtroom jury discovered Eric Griffin responsible of first-degree homicide, strangulation, two counts of home assault and battery, and battery and intimidation of a witness in reference to the 2019 homicide of 39-year-old Jennifer Kalicki.
“This verdict signifies our dedication to holding perpetrators of home violence accountable,” Middlesex County District Legal professional Marian Ryan mentioned in a press launch Thursday.
“…Any such controlling habits is much too frequent in these instances and calls larger consideration to the necessity for addressing this public security and public well being threat.”
Kalicki’s loss of life
Police discovered Kalicki’s physique on Sept. 15, 2019, after they had been referred to as to her condominium on Archstone Avenue in Tewksbury round 8:30 a.m., the discharge mentioned.
They discovered her unresponsive in a mattress and declared her useless. She had suffered critical accidents in line with a bodily assault, the discharge mentioned.
It was beforehand reported that Griffin referred to as 911 when he awoke and located her unresponsive. The day earlier than, Kalicki despatched texts to Griffin’s sister saying that Griffin was attacking her and pleading for assist.
“He’s ripped the door open. Choked me, slammed me to the bottom,” one message learn.
Griffin was arrested and charged in a while Sept. 15 with assault and battery on a family or member of the family, the DA’s launch mentioned.
The investigation into Kalicki’s homicide
The Chief Medical Examiner’s workplace dominated her loss of life a murder through blunt power trauma. It decided that Kalicki’s physique and neck had been injured, and that she’d died of blunt power trauma to the pinnacle that brought on a deadly mind bleed, the discharge mentioned.
It was beforehand reported that Griffin informed police he’d argued with Kalicki, however that she’d injured herself. Authorities decided his story wasn’t constant together with her accidents.
By their investigation, authorities discovered that Griffin had a historical past of abusing Kalicki, and that his violent actions in the direction of her escalated over time, the DA’s launch mentioned. At one level, he even satisfied her to say her Fifth Modification rights to power authorities to drop expenses towards him.
It was beforehand reported that Kalicki bailed Griffin out of jail simply days earlier than he killed her. His prison report included drug expenses, probation violations, restraining orders, and a home violence case involving Kalicki that had been dismissed.
In December 2019, Griffin was indicted on expenses of first diploma homicide, strangulation, and home assault and battery.
Griffin’s trial
Griffin’s trial started June 29, The Lowell Solar reported. Assistant District Legal professional Suzanne Wiseman reportedly revealed throughout the trial that Griffin and Kalicki had been courting on and off for a number of years earlier than he killed her.
The prosecutor characterised their relationship as “punctuated by violence” in her opening assertion, the newspaper reported. Griffin would turn out to be violent when Kalicki tried to cease him from utilizing medication, Wiseman reportedly mentioned.
“This case is about abuse that culminated in homicide,” the prosecutor reportedly informed jurors.
Wiseman asserted that Griffin staged Kalicki’s physique within the mattress after beating her after which “left her there to die,” the Solar reported. A forensic pathologist from the medical expert’s workplace reportedly testified that her loss of life by mind bleed would’ve been “agonizingly sluggish.”
Griffin’s attorneys argued that Kalicki may’ve been the aggressor within the relationship and that Griffin was defending himself, the newspaper reported.
They backed this declare by exhibiting footage of accidents on Griffin’s face, and cited Kalicki’s arrest in 2019 for allegedly assaulting Griffin, the Solar reported. That cost was later dismissed.
“They need you to imagine that this is so simple as angels and demons,” the protection reportedly mentioned throughout opening remarks. “That Eric was a demon and Jen was an angel, even when she assaults him…Eric is not any demon, and Jen was no angel.”
Griffin’s conviction
The jury took lower than 5 hours to seek out Griffin responsible, the Solar reported.
“I’m in shock, I actually am,” Kalicki’s mom reportedly informed the newspaper by way of tears. “It’s what I wished, however I by no means anticipated to get it. I assumed in some way it wasn’t going to occur, however I’m so completely happy as a result of [Griffin] does should undergo.”
Kalicki was a human sources skilled who family and friends keep in mind for her selflessness and stylishness.
Griffin is ready to be sentenced on July 27. The primary diploma homicide cost alone carries a compulsory minimal of life in jail with out parole.
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