Woman found slain at home

BRAINTREE -- When an 8-year-old girl's mother failed to pick her up from school yesterday, officials called police.

Authorities said the girl was later given grim news: Her mother had been slain.

Investigators said last night that they had a man from Boston's Dorchester section in custody but they had not charged Renaldo Pomare, 21, in the death of Michelle L. Durham, 28. Her body was discovered in the Braintree Village apartment she shared with her daughter.

Pomare was arrested on a restraining order violation, said David Traub, spokesman for the Norfolk district attorney. He did not provide more details.

Neighbors said the building in the sprawling apartment complex was the frequent scene of domestic disputes involving Durham and an unidentified man.

About a week ago, police were called after the woman fled the building with her daughter "screaming for help," said Jason Hancock, a 27-year-old resident.

"The police are maybe here one to two times a week," he said. "And the last time, the mother and daughter just took off down the street."

Investigators released few details about the case, saying only that they were investigating it as a homicide, that it was not believed to be a random act, and that the public should not fear a suspect being loose.

Braintree police went to the apartment complex shortly before 4 p.m., scouring the area for weapons and searching the nearby woods.

State Police detectives were expected to work throughout the night investigating the apartment, Norfolk District Attorney William R. Keating said during a press conference last night.

Police were called at 3:41 p.m. yesterday by officials at a Braintree elementary school after the mother failed to pick up her daughter. The body was found as police performed a well-being check at the home, Keating said. He declined to say how she was killed or if a weapon was found. He also declined to say whether Durham dropped her daughter off at school or when she was last seen alive.

Investigators refused to say whether Durham had restraining orders against anyone or provide any details about her family relationships. They would only say the mother and daughter lived alone in the apartment in the development on McCusker Drive.

"The 8-year-old girl is now safe," Keating said. "And she has had the opportunity to unfortunately be informed" about the death of her mother.

Relatives of the victim went to Braintree police headquarters late yesterday but declined to comment.

Records show Durham moved into the complex last year. She had previously lived in Dorchester, Roslindale, and Mattapan.

Josephine Jackson, who lives next door to Durham's complex, said the slaying had sent fear through Braintree Village. "I'm concerned," she said. " I'm pretty nervous tonight, and nervous until we find out what happened, but I don't want to panic."

Globe correspondent John Guilfoil contributed to this report.