Two killed in New Bedford stabbings

By Sarah Gantz, Globe Correspondent

Two people were killed in a murder-suicide yesterday afternoon in New Bedford. Two others were injured in the attack, which was witnessed by a 4-year-old boy, police said.

A 43-year-old man attacked his estranged companion with a steak knife before stabbing himself to death in her Tinkham Street residence, New Bedford police said in a statement issued early this morning.

The 36-year-old woman was taken to the city's St. Luke’s Hospital, where she died of stab wounds to the chest. Her attacker, who stabbed himself multiple times in the chest, was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Luke’s.

Police who raced to the house at 5:15 p.m. found a bloody crime scene. They were directed to the third-floor apartment by a second woman who had been stabbed and her male companion, who had been bitten. The couple, both in their late twenties, and their 4-year-old-son shared the apartment with the female stabbing victim and another man.

The attacker, who had previously lived in the apartment, entered with a key. He hid in his former companion’s bedroom, and attacked her when she returned from work, police said.

Hearing an argument, the woman’s three roommates rushed into the bedroom to intervene. At that point, the attacker stabbed his former companion twice, then stabbed the second woman eight times and bit one of the men.

The two men managed to disarm the attacker. But he had already fatally stabbed himself.

The injured woman was taken to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. She is expected to recover. The boy who witnessed the attack was not physically harmed, police said.

The victims’ identities were withheld, pending family notification.

• Comment
• Permalink
• Email