Beverly Man Held Without Bail On Murder Charge: Patch PM

BEVERLY, MA — It's Wednesday, April 14. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• A Beverly man was ordered held without bail after pleading not guilty to a first-degree murder charge in Salem District Court.
• A former Peabody teacher was indicted on four counts of child rape in a case dating back to 2000-2001.
• NSC-131, a hate group that participated in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, is planning more "White Lives Matter" rallies in Massachusetts.
• Somerville police are renewing a call for information about the murder of Charline Rosemond on the 12th anniversary of her death.
• On Cape Cod, sales of electronic shark deterrents have steadily increased since a fatal shark attack in 2018.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top North Shore Story

A Beverly man was held without bail after pleading not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of a woman in December.

John Shairs, 51, is facing one count of first-degree murder in the death of Tina Amore, 49, on Dec. 20, 2020. He pleaded not guilty to the charge in Salem District Court on Tuesday.

Read the full story here.

Today's Top Statewide Story

On a crowded Zoom call Tuesday night during Natick's first night of spring Town Meeting, Suzanne Ianni watched as her colleagues voted to condemn an event that, according to federal prosecutors, she took part in.

The first night of Town Meeting was marked by a resolution brought by Town Meeting member Jay Ball. His resolution condemned the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol in general, but did not name Ianni — a move that would've been counter to Town Meeting rules, according to Moderator Frank Foss.

The resolution had its detractors. Some members felt Town Meeting wasn't the right place to speak out about national issues. Others felt the language was too strong, in particular a portion that said Town Meeting failing to speak out "is to be complicit" in the events of Jan. 6.

Read the full story.

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Wednesday's Other Top Stories

Ex-teacher accused of rape: An Essex County grand jury indicted a former Peabody teacher on four counts of child rape while she was on the staff at Peabody Memorial High School in 2000 and 2001. Lynette Occhipinti was indicted on April 8 for conduct involving a boy who was 15 years old at the time. Patch previously reported the victim sued the city of Peabody and multiple teachers accused of being involved in the sexual assaults in federal court.

How much would you pay for shark protection? On Cape Cod, sales of electronic shark deterrents have steadily increased since a fatal shark attack in 2018. The devices use an electric field to repel sharks and can be attached to a person's ankle, surfboard or scuba gear. The units cost as much as $500.

Police renew cold case call for information: Somerville police are renewing a call for information about the murder of Charline Rosemond on the anniversary of her death. Rosemond, an Everett resident, was found shot to death on April 13, 2009. No one has ever been charged with Rosemond's murder, but a Somerville man was convicted of perjury for lying to a grand jury during the investigation.

Town rebukes 'White Lives Matter' protest: A small group of people carrying a "White Lives Matter" banner gathered near Lake Quanapowitt in Wakefield Sunday, drawing a swift and clear rebuke from residents and officials who were quick to draw a line between free speech and racist hate-mongering. The failed rally was part of a national effort by NSC-131 that flopped, Newsweek reported. Still, more marches are being planned — though it's clear they are not welcome in Wakefield.

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Picture This

State police continue to search for the driver who fled the scene after hitting a pedestrian on McGrath Highway Monday night. Police posted images of the suspect vehicle, a white 2014-2021 Ford Transit Connect. The van stands out from other vehicles of its model because of the number of side windows and the large sunroof, police said.

They Said It

"I've said it before: The public is our eyes and ears and any tools that they may have —whether it be Ring cameras or other security cameras— if anybody has any sort of tools that can assist us in apprehending someone who commit crimes we want to work with them."

• Newton Police Lt. Bruce Apotheker. The department is asking residents to share footage from home security systems as a crime prevention tool.