South Boston man pleads guilty in 2 cold case slayings tied to Bulger’s circle
By Sera Congi, Todd Kazakiewich
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BOSTON (WCVB) — A man who investigators said had ties to notorious gangster James “Whitey” Bulger pleaded guilty Wednesday to two separate killings that took place decades ago.
Michael Lewis, 65, of South Boston, pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter in the deaths of William Villani and Brian Watson.
Lewis admitted killing his boss, Villani, 46, in April 1993 inside Villani’s office at the Boston Housing Authority. He also pleaded guilty to shooting Watson, 23, in July 1984 and dumping his body off Interstate 93 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Prosecutors previously indicated that Watson’s death was over a drug-dealing dispute with indirect ties to Bulger. Lewis’ defense attorney denies any connection to Bulger.
During the hearing, the court heard emotional victim impact statements, including one from Watson’s daughter, Jessica Prioli.
“I do not forgive you,” she said. “I hope you understand that you just didn’t end one life, you shattered many.”
Prioli, who was 3 years old when her father was killed, called Lewis a coward.
“While you lived your life freely for years, we lived with the emptiness you created. We carried the weight of what you did,” she said.
A grand jury indicted Lewis on two counts of murder, but under the terms of a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter. The commonwealth stated that the availability of at least one key witness, a New Hampshire investigator who died earlier this year, may jeopardize a trial on first-degree murder charges, leading to the plea agreement.
The agreement recommends a prison sentence of two 15-year sentences, which will run concurrently, meaning Lewis would be nearly 80 at the completion of the sentence.
Lewis declined to address the court on Wednesday.
“Of course he feels remorse, or he would not have plead guilty voluntarily today to both of these crimes,” defense attorney James Sultan said. “So yes, he feels remorse.”
On Wednesday, New Hampshire officials said it’s cold case investigation into Watson’s death is now officially closed.
“This resolution stands as a testament to the determination of investigators who refused to let time stand in the way of justice,” said New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella. “Nearly 40 years after Brian Watson was killed, his family can finally have some measure of closure. We are deeply grateful to our partners in Massachusetts and New Hampshire who never stopped working toward this outcome.”
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