PEABODY, Mass. — The principal of a high school on the North Shore of Massachusetts released a statement late Friday morning after one of his students was arrested in connection with the “random” murder of a woman on Thursday.
Anthony DeMayo, an 18-year-old Lynn native and a senior at Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody, was arraigned Friday at Salem District Court on a charge of murder in the death of 68-year-old Janet Swallow, of Danvers, Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker announced during a news conference late Thursday night.
Bishop Fenwick High School President Tom Nunan Jr. confirmed in an emailed statement shared with Boston 25 News that DeMayo is a student and that no other members of the school were involved in the incident.
“We know this matter involves serious charges against an 18-year-old student who is in the custody and care of the proper authorities,” Nunan wrote. “The reports reveal the incident took place off campus, did not involve any other members of our school, did not seem to indicate any connection between the victim and the person being charged with the crime, and does not present any threat to the Bishop Fenwick community.”
Officers responding to a 911 call for a person with a knife in the area of Standish Road in Lynn encountered a person carrying a knife, which had a “reddish-brown stain consistent with blood,” Tucker said.
The person, later identified as DeMayo, was transported to Salem Hospital due to his “erratic behavior,” according to Tucker.
A subsequent search of DeMayo‘s Lynn home, the gathering of additional information, and available technology led investigators to 17 Amherst Street in Danvers, where Massachusetts State Police detectives and Danvers officers found Swallow, a longtime resident of the town, dead from wounds “consistent with a homicide,” Tucker explained.
“As of now, the investigation has not found any connection between the defendant and the victim,” Tucker said. “We also believe, as of this point, that DeMayo acted alone...This was random.”
We are aware of the investigation, and the information released regarding that investigation, by the Danvers Police Department and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
Nunan said Bishop Fenwick High School is cooperating with the investigation.
“We are cooperating fully with local law enforcement in this investigation, which is ongoing. Because this is an active criminal investigation, we defer to the appropriate legal authorities to provide any additional information. We will not have further comment on the matter,” Nunan wrote.
Nunan added that the Swallow and her family are in the thoughts of the school community.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim, her family, and all who have been affected by this horrific tragedy,” he wrote.
Counselors and trained professional are being made avialbe on campus for students, staff, and familes impacted by the incident.
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