Sentencing of convicted Weymouth cop killer postponed yet again

DEDHAM ? The sentencing of the man convicted of murder in the deaths of Weymouth police Sgt. Michael Chesna and resident Vera Adams has been postponed again, this time until August.

Emanuel Lopes, 26, of Brockton, was originally scheduled to be sentenced in March in Superior Court following his conviction on first-degree murder, second-degree murder and nine other charges.

But Judge Beverly Cannone delayed the sentencing at the request of defense lawyer Larry Tipton, who said he needed time to prepare evidence and find witnesses regarding potential parole eligibility.

Tipton pointed to the recent ruling by the state Supreme Judicial Court barring people younger than 21 at the time of their crime from a sentence of life without parole. The court ruled that such sentences constitute cruel or unusual punishment because young people's brains are still developing. Lopes was 20 at the time of the murders.

The sentencing was rescheduled for Friday, June 21, but has been moved to August at the request of the state. A firm date has not been set.

The details of the Weymouth killings

Authorities say Lopes was fleeing a minor car accident on July 15, 2018, when he threw a rock at Chesna's head, then shot him with the officer's gun. Chesna was a 42-year-old married father of two young children and served in the U.S. Army.

Two other officers then arrived at the scene. Officer Sean Murphy returned fire through his windshield, hitting Lopes in his right knee. Lopes returned fire and ran through a neighbor’s backyard, authorities said. He then shot Adams, 77, who was on the sun porch of her Torrey Street home, police said.

Police said Lopes was still holding Chesna’s gun when he was arrested on Torrey Street. There was no ammunition left in the gun, prosecutors have said.

Lopes' defense did not dispute the charges against him, but said he was not criminally responsible because of his history of mental illness.

First trial ended in a mistrial

Lopes' first trial in June and July 2023 ended with Cannone declaring a mistrial July 10 after one juror refused to deliberate further. That jury had deliberated for about 24 hours over six days after hearing 14 days of testimony and could not reach a unanimous decision.

The jury in the first trial also had nine women and three men and was selected in Worcester County. The juries were selected in other counties to avoid pretrial publicity.

Lopes found guilty during second trial

The second jury, selected from Bristol County, deliberated for about 32 hours over six days to reach its verdict after sending three notes to Cannone saying they were deadlocked. Ultimately, they returned a verdict of guilty on all charges.

Cannone had called the case "complex," with lots of evidence and expert testimony to go through.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Sentencing postponed for murderer of Weymouth cop, bystander