Crime & Safety
Peabody Double-Murder Suspect Pleads Not Guilty, Held Without Bail
DA: Drugs are behind a double murder in Peabody.
PEABODY, MA — A 45-year-old Peabody man was ordered held without bail for the grisly double murder at a Farm Avenue home on Saturday.
In Peabody District Court, a disheveled-looking Michael Hebb pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder in the slayings of Mark Greenlaw, 37, and his girlfriend Jennifer O'Connor, 40, of the unit block of Farm Avenue.
He is scheduled for a probable-cause hearing on March 28. (Subscribe to Peabody Patch for local news alerts and newsletters.)
Find out what's happening in Peabodyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Hebb was arrested Monday shortly after noon at his Peabody home with assistance from a SWAT team.
One suspect remains at large, according to Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett and Peabody Police Chief Thomas Griffin.
Find out what's happening in Peabodyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
When Peabody police arrived at the remote home late Saturday they found a home so cluttered officials had to bring in X-ray equipment from the State Fire Marshal's Office to help get a body count.
Griffin said police have been called to the home in the past for "different incidents."
- Violent History: Peabody Home Has Seen Incidents Before
O'Connors' father , Edward O'Connor, said his daughter struggled with drugs and alcohol.
Carole O'Connor, of Beverly, told the Boston Herald that she lost her daughter a long time ago to drugs and alcohol.
"She was a good person. Drugs did her in," the mother said.
None of the people involved are strangers to the law.
Hebb was arrested in April 2016 for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license. The case was dismissed three months later upon payment if $500.
On Feb. 16, 2016, O'Connor was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to operating under the influence of alcohol, second offense. She was ordered to enter a 14-day treatment program, submit to drug screens and a two-year loss of license.
O'Connor pleaded guilty to shoplifting a $76 necklace from JC Penney in 2015. The case was dismissed with $100 in court costs.
Greenlaw has an open threats case in Peabody District Court after he was arrested on Jan. 27. He was released on personal recognizance and ordered to stay away from the alleged victim.
He had an April 2015 domestic violence case involving a family member dismissed in August 2015 for "lack of prosecution."
Photo of Michael Hebb by Lisa Redmond/Patch staff.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.