A man entered the home of an elderly Stoughton couple early yesterday morning and attacked them with a knife, killing 78 year-old Georgios Kontsas. His wife, Dorothea Kontsas, despite suffering from multiple stab wounds, managed to make it to her neighbor’s house for help where she collapsed and was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The attack on the Stoughton couple occurred at about 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning. Norfolk County District Attorney William Keating and Stoughton Police Chief Thomas Murphy declined to comment whether the victims knew the suspect or if there was any motive to the attack and murder.
If apprehended, the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office could charge the criminal offender with Murder, Home Invasion, Attempted Murder, and Aggravated Assault & Battery on a Person Over 60.
Murder is defined under the Massachusetts law as the unlawful killing of another with malice or in the commission or attempted commission of certain felonies.
- Murder committed with deliberate premeditation and malice is murder in the first degree.
- Murder committed with extreme atrocity or cruelty and with malice is murder in the first degree.
- Murder committed in the commission or attempted commission of a felony punishable by a maximum sentence of imprisonment for life is murder in the first degree.
- Murder that does not appear to be murder in the first degree as outlined above is murder in the second degree.
Home Invasion is defined under Massachusetts criminal law as: Whoever knowingly enters the home of another with a dangerous weapon and uses force upon any person present. The penalty for the crime of Home Invasion is commitment to state prison for ‘not less than 20 years’ up to life.
The crime of Assault & Battery Upon a Person Over 60 years of age or older are obviously punished more harshly than a simply Assault and Battery. In Massachusetts, where the crime of Assault & Battery on a Person Over 60 years of age or older is committed, and there is “serious bodily injury” or substantial risk of death, the maximum penalty is up to ten years in state prison.
If you have been charged with a serious crime in Massachusetts, it is crucial to your defense that you consult with only an experienced criminal attorney. Boston Criminal Defense Lawyer Lefteris K. Travayiakis is available 24/7 and offers free consultations – e-mail or call him directly at 617-325-9500.
Read more on this story by John M. Guilfoil, Boston Globe Staff.