An 18-year-old high school senior, Anthony DeMayo, has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing Janet Swallow, a 68-year-old ICU nurse, in her Danvers home. According to prosecutors and multiple reports, the attack appears to have been random with no known connection between the suspect and victim.
Key Takeaways
An 18-year-old high school senior, Anthony DeMayo, was charged with murder after allegedly stabbing Janet Swallow, a 68-year-old ICU nurse, in her Danvers home. Prosecutors describe the attack as random with no known connection between the two.
- Anthony DeMayo, 18, arrested for murder of Janet Swallow, 68
- Attack described as random with no known connection between suspect and victim
- DeMayo allegedly confessed to planning the killing for a long time
- Victim was an ICU nurse at Lahey Hospital in Burlington
- Suspect ordered held without bail pending mental evaluation
DeMayo was arrested Thursday afternoon after Lynn police received a 911 call about a man with a knife walking on Standish Road. Officers found DeMayo behaving erratically and holding a bloodstained knife. He was taken to Salem Hospital for evaluation, where he allegedly confessed to killing Swallow the night before.
Investigators searched DeMayo's home in Lynn and found bloodstained clothing that led them to Swallow's residence on Amherst Street in Danvers. Police discovered Swallow dead in her bedroom with multiple stab wounds. Prosecutors state that there is no evidence of a robbery, and the attack appears to have been random.
DeMayo allegedly told investigators he had planned the killing for a long time and wanted to kill someone. He described driving around nearby communities before stopping at Swallow's home, breaking in through a window, and stabbing her while she slept. After the attack, DeMayo drove back to his home in Lynn but returned to the victim's neighborhood the next day, where he was seen erratically waving a large knife.
Swallow was described as a beloved ICU nurse at Lahey Hospital in Burlington and the mother of two sons. The community has expressed shock and sadness over the random violence. DeMayo is a senior at Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody, and school officials are cooperating with law enforcement and offering counseling to students.
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