Cold Case: Witness in Whitey Bulger Trial Stands Accused

By Charlene Aresenault, Patch staff

WORCESTER, MA — An 80-year-old Amesbury man was arrested on Tuesday afternoon and charged with the 1991 shooting death of an armored truck guard, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.

Ralph DeMasi is being charged with armed robbery and the murder of Edward P. Morlock Sr. of Athol on May 18, 1991 in the foyer at Shaw’s Supermarket, 490 Lincoln St. Morlock, who was 52 at the time, was shot multiple times as he was carrying money bags from Shaw’s.

He previously provided witness testimony that helped put the notorious James "Whitey" Bulger behind bars, described in 2013 CNN coverage of the Bulger trials as "elderly, wisecracking... fresh out of jail."

DeMasi was arrested by Worcester police after a Worcester grand jury handed up indictments to Superior Court Judge Janet Kenton-Walker. He will be arraigned on Wednesday in Worcester Superior Court.

DeMasi and other suspects escaped the robbery and shooting in a waiting car, which was then left around the corner on Goldthawaite Road, say police, and the suspects then switched to another vehicle. Three other men believed to have participated in the robbery have died in the intervening years, said the announcement.

Today’s arrest is the result new information uncovered during an investigation by Worcester Police, the FBI and the District Attorney’s Office, said Early in a release.

“This was an example of great investigative work by Worcester Police, particularly the WPD Unresolved Homicide Unit, and a meticulous presentation to the grand jury by Assistant District Attorneys John Bradley and Terry McLaughlin,” Early said in a statement. “I also want to acknowledge the assistance of the FBI and State Police in the investigation.”

“I have seen first-hand the hard work and dedication that has gone into this case,” Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent said in a statement. “I am proud of the partnership we share with the Office of District Attorney Joseph Early, the Massachusetts State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Hopefully, this arrest brings some measure of closure to the family of Edward Morlock.”

Image via Shutterstock

Alison Bauter, Patch staff, contributed to this report