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| Charles Stuart | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 18, 1959 |
| Died | January 4, 1990 (aged 30) |
| Alias(es) | "Chuck" |
| Charge(s) | Two counts of first-degree murder |
| Conviction(s) | Committed suicide upon indictment |
| Penalty | N/A |
| Occupation | Onetime manager of Kakas Furs on Newbury Street, Boston, MA |
| Spouse | Carol DiMaiti (?), 1959–1989 |
| Children | Son Christopher, died November 6, 1989, 16 days after mother Carol, 60 days before Stuart's suicide |
Charles "Chuck" Stuart (December 18, 1959 – January 4, 1990) was a man from Reading, Massachusetts who allegedly murdered his pregnant wife, initially convincing police that the killing had been committed by an unknown carjacker. Because Stuart fixed his blame on a fictitious African-American assailant, the case caused a severe and longlasting rupture in black-white race relations in the Boston area and beyond.
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[edit] Murders
On October 23, 1989, Stuart, manager of the upscale Kakas Furs on Newbury Street, and his pregnant wife, the former Carol DiMaiti (born March 26, 1959, in Boston), a lawyer, got into their car after attending childbirth classes at Brigham and Women's Hospital. According to Stuart's subsequent statement, a black gunman with a raspy voice forced his way into their car at a stoplight, ordered them to drive to nearby Mission Hill, robbed them, then opened fire, shooting Charles in the stomach and Carol in the head. Stuart then drove away, despite his wound, calling 911 on his car phone.
A film crew for the CBS Reality television series Rescue 911 happened to be riding with Boston Emergency Medical Services personnel and was able to capture the scene as police and paramedics assisted Stuart.
Carol Stuart died that night, after her son, Christopher, was delivered two months early by caesarean section. The infant suffered seizures due to oxygen deprivation and died 17 days later after his father authorized discontinuing life support.[1]
Boston police searched for suspects matching Stuart's description of the assailant. Police suspected a man named Willie Bennett and on December 28, Stuart picked him out of a lineup. Though investigating officers asked doctors whether Stuart's wounds could have been self-inflicted, they were told that this was very unlikely, given the severity of the injuries.
The case against Bennett abruptly collapsed on January 3, when Charles Stuart's brother, Matthew, identified Charles as the killer. Matthew admitted that he had driven to meet Stuart that night to help him commit what he'd been told was to be an insurance fraud.
Upon arrival, Matthew said that he had seen that Carol had been shot, and that his brother, also wounded, had apparently shot himself to support his story. Matthew took the gun and a bag of valuables, including Carol's wedding rings, and threw them off the Pines River Bridge in Revere. The items were later recovered.
Police later learned that Stuart had been upset at the prospect of becoming a father, particularly worried that his wife would not go back to work and their financial status would be diminished. Moreover, Stuart had been interested in (but allegedly not involved with) an intern at the fur salon. An article in The Boston Globe alleged that a $480,000 check was issued to Charles Stuart in payment for a life insurance policy on his wife, but this was later found to be false, as no such check was ever found. However on the popular television cable show, Cold Blood, it was noted and investigated by producers that Charles did receive a $100,000 life insurance money check to which he cashed just after being discharged from the hospital. He was also noted buying a Nissan Maxima in cash for $16,000.
[edit] Suicide
On January 4, 1990, hours after his brother Matthew went to police, Charles became aware he was now a suspect and confessed to his lawyer. Shortly afterward, he committed suicide by leaping to his death from the Tobin Bridge, in Chelsea. A note was found in Stuart's car, stating that he could not deal with the allegations against him. In 1991, Matthew Stuart was indicted for obstruction of justice and insurance fraud for his role in covering up the crime.[2] He pleaded guilty in 1992 and was sentenced to three to five years in prison.[3] Matthew Stuart was found dead in a homeless shelter in Cambridge, Massachusetts on September 3, 2011. [1]
[edit] Carol Stuart Memorial Scholarship
In Carol Stuart's memory, her family established the Carol DiMaiti Stuart Foundation to provide scholarship aid to Mission Hill residents. By early 2006, the foundation had awarded $1.2 million to 220 students.[4]
[edit] Cultural references
Stuart was portrayed by Thirtysomething star Ken Olin in the 1990 CBS TV movie Good Night Sweet Wife: A Murder in Boston. Talk show host Tom Leykis provided the voice of a generic talk radio host.
Mark Wahlberg and his former group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch referred to this story in their song "Wildside."
Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs refer to this story in the song "Speak Upon It" from the album Life of a Kid in the Ghetto.
The Law & Order episode "Happily Ever After" and the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Tangled" each appear to be based on the Charles Stuart case.
The plot of Robert B. Parker's Spenser novel Small Vices revolves around a case where a black man is framed for the murder of white woman.[5] The Stuart case is also referred to by name during the novel as example of how effective blaming a non-existent minority perpetrator can be in distracting the police.[6]
The case, which gained international headlines, was also shown on the A&E Channel's City Confidential documentary series program in a 2000 episode titled "Boston: Betrayal in Beantown, Episode #99".[7]
The 2006 novel "White Guys", by Anthony Giardina (published by Picador), was based on the Charles Stuart murders.
The Michael Moore documentary "Bowling for Columbine" references the murder in a discussion about suburban fears regarding cities.
[edit] References
- ^ Carol DiMaiti Stuart at Find A Grave
- ^ Butterfield, Fox. Charles Stuart's Brother Indicted In Murder Case. New York Times, 1991-09-27.
- ^ Butterfield, Fox. Guilty Plea in Fraud That Led to Boston Slaying. New York Times, 1992-11-03.
- ^ Negri, Gloria (January 21, 2006). "Evelyn DiMaiti, reached out to help many after loss; at 74". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/01/21/evelyn_dimaiti_reached_out_to_help_many_after_loss_at_74/. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
- ^ Parker, Robert B. Small Vices, New York: Putnam, 1997 ISBN 0399142444 ISBN 978-0399142444
- ^ Parker, page 48
- ^ AETV.com: City Confidential, Season 3 Episode 39
[edit] External links
- A&E City Confidential: Boston: Betrayal In Beantown, Episode #99 at the Internet Movie Database
- The forgotten victim
- Bizarro Boston
- Illusion and tragedy coexist after a couple dies, New York Times, January 7, 1990
- Charles Stuart at Find A Grave
[edit] Select bibliography
- Sharkey, Joe (1991). Deadly Greed: The Riveting True Story of the Stuart Murder Case That Rocked Boston and Shocked the Nation. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-13-584178-X.
