Boston's most recent murder victims identified by Boston police

October 31, 2008 02:12 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

Boston police today identified the two men who were murdered in Boston in separate shootings in Dorchester on Thursday.

Police said Komawalee Morris was shot inside his Greenbrier street apartment around 10:15 a.m. He was rushed to Boston Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Police said Morris' attackers stormed inside the building and attacked him.

Neighbors who refused to be identified by name said today that Morris was a tatoo artist who operated out of his second floor apartment in the ramshackle apartment building. Morris was 24 and was known as "Needle'' and "Dread,'' neighbors said.

Elaine Driscoll, spokesman for the police, said today that homicide detectives believe Morris was the intended target of the armed home invasion. She declined to say why detectives reached their conclusions.

The second shooting took place around 6:30 p.m. on Harvard street near its intersection with Warner street. Killed was 38-year-old William Branch of Dorchester. A second man who was with Branch ran from the scene and was listed as being in critical condition by police.

Driscoll said Branch and the second victim had argued with some people recently. On Thursday night, Branch and the 35-year-old confronted the same people and were shot.

No arrests have been made in either killing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Boston Police homicide unit at (617) 343-4470.

The two men were the 50th and 51 murder victims in Boston this year. Police said the city had 60 murders at this time last year.