Arrest announced in Malden hairdresser's slaying

February 29, 2008 08:40 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Megan Woolhouse, Globe Staff

A 48-year-old Everett man is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of a hairdresser who left her Malden shop in mid-February to get a cup of coffee and never returned, prosecutors said.

Lesly Cheremond will be arraigned Monday in Malden District Court in the death of Norma Dorce Gilles, 37, of Lynn, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said at a news conference last night. Gilles' body was found Wednesday in the trunk of her car.

Cheremond, who was arrested yesterday afternoon, was Gilles' ex-boyfriend, Leone said.

The prosecutor began the news conference by repeating Gilles' name. "I remind you of the name of the victim in this matter because of an all-too-familiar story line" of domestic violence, he said. "We never want to forget the victim in these matters."

An autopsy found that Gilles had been asphyxiated by smothering and that she had suffered "forced compression to the neck area," Leone said.

Gilles had taken out a restraining order against Cheremond after an incident of alleged domestic abuse last year, Leone said.

Witnesses told police that Cheremond and Gilles, who had been estranged for more than a year, had argued on Feb. 12. Gilles was last seen walking out of her Salem Street shop, Scruple, on Feb. 13. Cheremond owned the music and DVD shop next door to Gilles', Super Star Lesly C Music Productions.

Gilles' brother filed a missing person report on Feb. 23.

"Immediately, the police went into action," Leone said. Within several days, they had located the victim's car just a few blocks from her salon. They towed the car to the police department. When they opened up the trunk, they found her body inside.

Gilles' brother, Jules Dorce, has said that Gilles and Cheremond, who were both Haitian immigrants, had a volatile relationship and she planned to leave the area and move to Miami.

Leone said that investigators had evidence linking Cheremond to Gilles' slaying, but he declined to detail it, saying more information would be disclosed at Monday’s arraignment.