Murder of Carol Stuart
Charles Stuart | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 18, 1959 |
| Died | January 4, 1990 (aged 30) |
| Other names | "Chuck" |
| Occupation(s) | Onetime manager of Kakas Furs on Newbury Street, Boston, MA |
| Spouse(s) | Carol DiMaiti (?), 1959–1989 |
| Children | Son Christopher, died November 6, 1989, 16 days after mother Carol, 60 days before Stuart's suicide |
| Conviction(s) | Committed suicide upon indictment |
| Criminal charge | Two counts of first-degree murder |
| Penalty | N/A |
Charles "Chuck" Stuart (December 18, 1959 – January 4, 1990) was an apparent victim, with his wife Carol DiMaiti Stuart, of a violent carjacking in Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts. Stuart was injured in the leg by a gunshot, while his wife was killed by a shot to the head. Stuart blamed the incident on an African-American male, leading to a futile manhunt and inflaming racial tensions in Boston. Stuart's brother, Matthew, eventually disclosed that Stuart had in fact killed his wife and shot himself. Before Stuart could be questioned, he apparently committed suicide by jumping off the Tobin Bridge.
Murders
In 1989, Charles Stuart was serving as the general manager for Edward F. Kakas & Sons, upscale furriers on Boston's Newbury Street. Stuart's pregnant wife, the former Carol DiMatti (born March 26, 1959, in Boston), was a beginning tax attorney, but was getting herself ready to transition to full-time motherhood.[1] On October 23, the couple got into their car after attending childbirth classes at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a widely respected maternity hospital on the edge of the city's Roxbury neighborhood.[1] 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.
Carol Stuart died just hours after the shooting, at approximately 3:00am on October 24.[2] Her funeral took place four days later at St. James Church in her native Medford.[3] Shortly before her death, doctors delivered her baby by caesarean section, two months early. Baptized in the intensive care unit, the child was given the name Christopher, according to Charles and Carol's prior wishes.[2] Christopher had suffered trauma and oxygen deprivation during the shooting, and died seventeen days after his birth.[4] A private funeral service was held for the infant on November 20, 1989.[5]
Investigation
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.
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.[6] He pleaded guilty in 1992 and was sentenced to three to five years in prison.[7] Matthew Stuart was found dead in a homeless shelter in Cambridge on September 3, 2011.[8]
Real-time film
A film crew for the CBS reality television series Rescue 911 happened to be riding with Boston Emergency Medical Services personnel on the night of the shooting and was able to capture the scene as police and paramedics assisted the Stuarts. The crew took dramatic footage of the couple being extricated from the car: Carol can be seen "in profile, her pregnancy prominent, being wheeled to the ambulance."[9] Other shots include Charles Stuart straining to speak with ambulance workers, and graphic scenes of his rushed entry to the hospital's emergency room. The shocking nature of the situation created enormous interest in the film, but producers of the show were unable to negotiate permission for its use. The footage was withheld for over four months, until Charles' suicide obviated the need for a release: it was finally broadcast in the Rescue 911 episode of February 27, 1990.[9]
Memorial fund
In Carol Stuart's memory, her family established the Carol DiMaiti Stuart Foundation to provide scholarship aid to Mission Hill residents.[10] By early 2006, the foundation had awarded $1.2 million to 220 students.[11] The Di Maitis' attorney, Marvin Gellar, explained to the press: "Carol would not want to be remembered as the victim of a sensational murder, but rather as a woman who left behind a legacy of healing and compassion."[10]
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 it 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 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.[12] 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.[13]
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".[14]
The novel White Guys by Anthony Giardina (Picador, 2006), was based on the Stuart case.
The Michael Moore documentary "Bowling for Columbine" references the murder in a discussion about suburban fears regarding cities.
References
- ^ a b Englade, Ken (1990). Murder in Boston. New York: Saint Martin's. pp. 2–5. ISBN 0312923961.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ a b Englade, p. 19.
- ^ Englade, p. 61.
- ^ Englade, p. 73.
- ^ Englade, p. 83.
- ^ Butterfield, Fox (September 27, 1991). "Charles Stuart's Brother Indicted In Murder Case". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
- ^ Butterfield, Fox (November 3, 1992). "Guilty Plea in Fraud That Led to Boston Slaying". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
- ^ Guilfoil, John M.; Irons, Meghan (September 4, 2011). "Stuart Found Dead in Shelter". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
- ^ a b Englade, pp. 245–249.
- ^ a b Englade, pp. 231–233.
- ^ Negri, Gloria (January 21, 2006). "Evelyn DiMaiti, reached out to help many after loss; at 74". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Parker, Robert B. Small Vices, New York: Putnam, 1997 ISBN 0399142444 ISBN 978-0399142444
- ^ Parker, p. 48.
- ^ AETV.com: City Confidential, Season 3 Episode 39
External links
- A&E City Confidential: Boston: Betrayal In Beantown, Episode #99 at IMDb
- 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
- Carol DiMaiti at Find A Grave
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.