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, a furriers on Newbury Street. Stuart's wife, Carol (nee DiMaiti, born March 26, 1959, in Boston), was a beginning tax attorney, and pregnant with the couple's first child.[1] On October 23, the couple were driving through the Roxbury neighborhood after attending childbirth classes at Brigham and Women's Hospital.[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 shot Charles in the stomach and Carol in the head. Stuart then drove away, despite his injuries, and called 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 later.[4] A private funeral service was held for Christopher on November 20, 1989.[5]
Investigation
Boston Police searched for suspects based on Stuart's description of the assailant. Though investigating officers asked doctors whether Stuart's wounds could have been self-inflicted, they were told[who?] that this was very unlikely, given the severity of the injuries. Police found a young man, Willie Bennett, who fit Stuart's description. On December 28, Stuart identified Bennett as his attacker in a lineup.
The case against Bennett abruptly collapsed on January 3, when Charles Stuart's brother Matthew identified Charles as Carol's 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 had shot himself to make it appear as a carjacking. Matthew took the gun and a bag of valuables, including the couple'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. Stuart had also started some sort of relationship with Deborah Allen, an employee at Kakas & Sons, though Allen denied any romantic involvement.[6] The Boston Globe reported that a $480,000 check was issued to Charles Stuart in payment for a life insurance policy on his wife, but no such check was ever found. The television show Cold Blood reported and confirmed that Charles did receive a $100,000 life insurance money check, which he cashed just after being discharged from the hospital. Stuart also bought a new Nissan Maxima for $16,000 in cash.
Suicide
On January 4, 1990, hours after his brother Matthew revealed the truth to police, Charles confessed to his lawyer. Shortly afterward, Stuart's car was found abandoned on the Tobin Bridge in Chelsea. A note was found in Stuart's car, stating that he was "beaten" by the "new accusations" and was "sapped of [his] strength".[7] It was later revealed that most of Charles' other siblings also knew what he had done, and that Stuart had previously expressed a desire to kill his wife.[6]
In 1991, Matthew Stuart was indicted for obstruction of justice and insurance fraud for his role in covering up the crime.[8] He pleaded guilty in 1992 and was sentenced to three to five years in prison.[9] He was released on parole in 1997, but returned for 3 months after being arrested for cocaine trafficking, which he was never tried for due to lack of evidence.[10] On September 3, 2011, Matthew Stuart was found dead from an apparent drug overdose in Heading Home, a homeless shelter in Cambridge.[11]
Real-time film
On the night of the crime, the CBS reality television series Rescue 911 was riding with Boston Emergency Medical Services personnel. 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."[12] Other footage included 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 story 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 after Charles' suicide, being finally aired by the show on February 27, 1990.[12]
Memorial fund
In Carol Stuart's memory, her family established the Carol DiMaiti Stuart Foundation to provide scholarship aid to Mission Hill residents.[13] By early 2006, the foundation had awarded $1.2 million to 220 students.[14] 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."[13]
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.[15] 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.[16]
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".[17]
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.
- ^ a b Butterfield, Fox (1990-01-10). "Gun That May Be Stuart's Is Found". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
- ^ "Report: Suicide note contained no confession". 1993-02-01. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|source=ignored (help) - ^ 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 (2011-09-07). "Shelter to investigate Stuart death". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
- ^ 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.