BOSTON (WHDH) - A 22-year-old man already charged in connection with the shooting death of his 12-year-old brother in Mattapan was back in court on Thursday where he faced new charges.
Walter Hendrick appeared in Suffolk Superior Court where a judge ordered he be held on $250,000 cash bail, months after the shooting death of Savion Ellis.
Ellis was found shot in an apartment on Fessenden Street in Mattapan on July 13. Hendrick was taken into custody and arraigned on multiple firearms-related charges soon afterwards, but was arrested again on Wednesday, Sept. 20 on a warrant for charges that included manslaughter and witness intimidation, according to Boston police.
In court Thursday, prosecutors said that not only did Hendrick own the gun that killed his younger brother, but that his fingerprint was found on the trigger.
“The defendant’s print is on the trigger,” said prosecutor Julie Higgins. “The firearm is located near the defendant’s wallet that contains an item with another fingerprint of the defendant’s.”
The prosecution also said Hendrick initially lied to police at the time of the shooting, claiming his brother had been shot at a store and then returned home.
“The defendant misled the initial responding police officers, providing them with false information early on in this investigation,” Higgins said.
The defense painted a different story of a tragic event, saying Hendrick feels terrible about what happened.
“[This], from what I know at the time, and from our perspective, is a tragic, tragic accident – that affected the family in this case – his mom’s in the courtroom, in full-support of her son while grieving her other son,” said attorney Susan Neff.
“This was an accident that he has terrible, terrible remorse over,” Neff said.
Hendrick pleaded not guilty. If he posts bail, he will need to be fitted with a GPS bracelet.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Oct. 24.
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