Ross A. Atstupenas
Chief of Police
15 St. Paul St.
Blackstone, MA 01504
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Blackstone Police Comment on Previous Calls for Service
BLACKSTONE — Police Chief Ross Atstupenas today commented on Blackstone Police Log Entries dating back to January 2000 for the address 23 St. Paul St., which was determined last week to be the site of a horrific crime scene. Members of the media have requested these logs as public records. The full log is linked below.
The first time the Blackstone Police Department spoke to Erika Murray was in 2007 when she spoke to police on April 13, 2007 regarding a medical transport of another party.
The Blackstone Police Department had no contact with Erika Murray, as a direct party to a call for service, until August 2011, when the Blackstone Animal Control Officer was called by a concerned neighbor to check on the well being of a dog that was on a leash in the back yard. At that time, conditions outside the home appeared satisfactory, and police had no legal right or reason to investigate the inside of the home.
“In 2011, our Officers and the Animal Control Officer found nothing to indicate what would later be found,” Chief Atstupenas said. “As Police, we are limited by the law in regards to what we are allowed to do.
“While we will all wonder what could have been done to prevent this terrible tragedy, our officers continue to do their jobs well, and no one could have predicted the scene that investigators would find last week. What we saw goes beyond heartbreaking. It is nothing that any of the hundreds of noise complaints or well being checks our department performs every year could have possibly prepared us for, but I want to state that the Blackstone Police Department takes every call for service seriously and does an excellent job working for the good of the people of Blackstone every day.”
Attached please find the police logs that several media outlets have requested. The department offers the following context from the logs:
- Calls from 10/13/2000 through 03/21/2007 deal with previous residents of the home or to Raymond Rivera.
- 07/18/2008: Raymond Rivera requests help after locking his keys in his vehicle
- 08/15/2011: Animal Control Officer responds with Blackstone Police to check on the condition of a dog.
- 12/13/2011: Raymond Rivera retrieved his vehicle, which was parked over the line in Woonsocket, R.I.
- 03/20/2012: Animal Control Officer again reviewed outside area, where dog was reportedly kept.
- 03/21/2012: Legal Documents Served – Resident cited for having an unlicensed dog.
- 12/31/2012: Animal Control Officer and Blackstone Police talk to resident about dog reported to be left outside on a cold porch. Resident told police that that had only let the dog outside for a few minutes after it ate.
- 05/19/2014: Erika Murray called Blackstone Police to report an animal had been hit by a car in front of the house.
- 08/28/2014: Blackstone Police conduct welfare check after receiving a call about a baby crying. First time police become aware of living conditions. Department of Children and Families is called in. Investigation begins.
Click here to download the full logs, from 2000-2014.
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