25 Investigates: Trial of former orthopedic surgeon accused of rape ends in hung jury
The trial for a former orthopedic surgeon accused of rape and indecent assault ended in a hung jury. The Middlesex County jury was not polled.
25 Investigates was there in December 2022 when James Devellis was arraigned on these charges. The victim was a person who claimed he was assaulted at Devellis’s home.
But Boston 25 News started hearing from alleged victims of Dr. James Devellis back in 2016. Those victims—teenage boys who were his patients—also shared their complaints with the state medical board when they recalled inappropriate touching during visits with Dr. Devellis.
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At that time, the Middlesex District Attorney declined to prosecute due to a loophole in state law that prevented doctors from being prosecuted on many claims of sexual assault and misconduct. 25 Investigates exposed the loophole, which had to do with the consent patients often unknowingly give during medical procedures.
25 Investigates was there in September 2024 when Governor Maura Healey signed a bill into law closing this loophole, so that patients in vulnerable positions can no longer be exploited.
The Middlesex District Attorney’s office says it plans to refile the charges against Devellis.
We reached out to Devellis’s attorney in the case and will update when we hear back.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Boston pays $150K to 2 men wrongfully accused in infamous murder case
The City of Boston has paid a total of $150,000 to two men who were wrongfully accused in the high-profile 1989 murder of Carol Stuart — a case that shocked the nation and fanned racial tensions across the city.
Mayor Michelle Wu’s office authorized payments of $100,000 to Willie Bennett and $50,000 to Alan Swanson, documents obtained by Boston 25 News show.
Carol Stuart, a pregnant white woman, was shot and killed in what her husband, Charles “Chuck” Stuart, claimed was a carjacking by an armed Black man. The accusation led to a citywide manhunt and the wrongful targeting of Bennett and Swanson.
Months after Stuart was killed, it was revealed that Charles Stuart had orchestrated her murder.
Charles Stuart’s younger brother told investigators that Charles had murdered his wife in an attempt to collect life insurance money.
Charles Stuart later died by suicide.
Neither Swanson nor Bennett were formally charged with anything related to the case, but both men were publicly labeled as suspects in the notorious killing. Charles Stuart’s accusation also resulted in the harassment of Black men, in particular those living in the Mission Hill neighborhood, by city officials and the Boston Police Department.
“This dark time in the City’s history exacerbated distrust between Boston’s Black community and the Boston Police Department,” Wu said at the time. “Acknowledging this painful moment and apologizing for the City’s wrongdoing is an effort to aid in the healing of those still living with this trauma and our City as a whole.”
Tremblay didn’t identify the teacher or comment on the content of the post, but said an internal review was underway.
“As a District, we are committed to fostering a safe and respectful environment for everyone. We do not condone violence or hateful behavior in any form,” Tremblay said in a statement. “While the law prevents us from discussing specific personnel matters, the employee is on leave pending an internal review. Be assured that we are addressing the situation in full compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies.”
“Today, we were made aware of and were extremely concerned about a recent personal social media post by a member of our staff that has been shared publicly in other social media posts,” Botelho and Keenan wrote in a letter to the school community. “We recognize that this post has caused distress for members of our school community.”
Botelho and Keenan didn’t identify the teacher in question, and they didn’t comment on the content of the post, only noting that the views don’t reflect the values of the town’s schools.
“The views expressed in that post categorically do not reflect the values of Sharon High School or Sharon Public Schools. As a district and school, we are and remain committed to fostering an environment grounded in empathy, respect, and thoughtful reflection and dialogue,” Botelho and Keenan wrote. “The post in question is inconsistent with those values, and we are reviewing and addressing the matter in accordance with established district policies and procedures.”
Botelho and Keenan didn’t say if the teacher would face any disciplinary action.
“These comments sparked heated debate, millions of views, and brought into question the safety of school operations for both students and staff at WRHS,” the Holden Police Department said in a statement.
In the wake of the comments, police officers were assigned to patrol the high school campus throughout Thursday out of an abundance of caution.
Police and school officials didn’t reveal what the teacher’s post stated, but screenshots floating around on social media showed the words, “Just a reminder, we’re NOT offering sympathy.”
While investigators uncovered no credible threat, Wachusett Regional School District Superintendent James Reilly and School Committee Chair Lauren Salmon-Garrett announced the teacher will remain on leave “for the foreseeable future and is not allowed on school property” while an investigation is conducted.
“As many are aware, a teacher has been accused of making inappropriate comments in response to this event on her own personal social media page,” Reilly and Salmon-Garrett wrote in a letter to the school community. “Please know that Wachusett Regional School District condemns violence in all forms. Political violence, especially, has no place in our country, and it directly contradicts our nation’s founding principles.”
The incidents in Framingham, Sharon, and Holden both remain under investigation.
Investigation underway after police officer shot in Boston
A Boston police officer was hospitalized early Friday morning after being shot while chasing a suspect, authorities said.
It happened right across from the police precinct in Nubian Square.
Boston’s Police Commissioner Michael Cox told Boston 25 News at the scene that officers went to Justice Edward O. Gourdin Veterans Memorial Park at Dudley and Washington streets in city’s Roxbury section around 12:45 a.m. and observed a group of suspicious individuals.
As the officers went to investigate, one person ran from the area and eventually got on to Kenilworth Street. When officers chased after and turned the corner, Cox said officers were shot at by that man.
Officers returned fire and struck the suspect multiple times below the waist. One police officer was shot in the arm, but it appeared to be a non-life-threatening wound.
Both the suspect and officer were taken to separate hospitals.
“This is another example of the amount of guns that are out here, but we’re extremely be proud of officers for what they do daily and we’re very, very lucky and fortunate that no one there was no loss of life today,” Cox said.
One high-capacity firearm was recovered from the suspect with an extended magazine.
Mayor Michelle Wu was also at the scene early Friday morning.
“Tonight is another reminder of the kinds of risks that our officers face 24 hours a day and I am very proud and grateful every day for their service and all that they put into taking care of our community members and making sure everyone is safe,” Wu said.
She continued, “It’s just not okay for violence to be happening anywhere in the city of Boston, and particularly as we continue to try to fight the flow of guns and firearms, I am thankful that we live in this city and we always have more work to do.”
The suspect is under arrest in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
His identity and the charges he’ll face are expected to be released at a later time.
Police said the names of the officers involved in the incident will not be released at this time.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued in parts of Massachusetts as storms are set to bring damaging winds, flooding, and possible tornadoes.
This watch is in effect for Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Worcester counties through 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Boston 25 News Meteorologist Tucker Antico warned that the peak of the storms is expected between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The North Shore and Boston have a chance to see rain after dark, but storms will have weakened at this point.
Temperatures in the mid-80s and humid conditions will fuel an afternoon front, packing the ingredients for summer storms west and north of Boston.
“Wind and flooding are my greatest concerns, and you heard me mention tornado, and it is a day where although it is a low threat, it’s very much there,” said Antico during his Saturday morning forecast.
Shelter-in-place order issued at UMass Lowell as police investigate reports of person carrying gun
Students and staff at UMass Lowell were asked to shelter in place as police investigated reports of a person carrying a gun on Wednesday afternoon.
“Police from UMass Lowell and the city of Lowell were alerted this afternoon to reports of a male on South Campus carrying an object suspected of being a firearm. A campus-wide shelter-in-place order has been issued as officers attempt to find this individual,” UMass Lowell police told Boston 25 News.
A Boston 25 News staff member who receives alerts from UMass Lowell received a text alerting students and staff members that police were responding to a weapons incident.
Another alert stated that police are searching for a “5′5″ asian male wearing a gray or white sweatshirt and black shorts carrying a long weapon.”
Shortly before 5:00 p.m., students and staff began to pour out of buildings on campus as police facilitated a controlled evacuation.
“Faculty, staff, commuters, east campus students and visitors will be dismissed by law enforcement building-by-building and asked to take buses back to their vehicles or their East Campus dorms,” the alert from UMass Lowell reads.
Massachusetts State Police said that they are aware of a video that appears to show an armed suspect walking on campus and asked people to stay away from the area.
FBI Boston is also on the scene.
Several cruisers could be seen patrolling the area around the Rearview Suites and a helicopter could be seen circling the area.
Boston 25 News spoke with a student who has been sheltering in a south campus building since around 2:30 p.m.
“We received a bunch of text messages and e-mails saying that we need to stay put, stay in place and yeah, since then, we’re just in the hallway,” said junior Wafaa Kalai. “The class has been canceled. So most of the classrooms are actually closed and locked. The doors are locked and yeah, we’re in the room in the hallways.”
Kalai is a transfer student who was in the middle of the first day of classes on campus when she got the alert to shelter in place.
“There was nothing like this in my mind coming to a first day of school. I’m a public health major,” said Kalai. “What I do and what I study for is to care for people’s health and life. And being in a public school and being in Massachusetts, I thought that we are more on the safe side. So this definitely wasn’t in my mind, it wasn’t in my plans, but now I’m shook to my core.”
Another student, freshman Tyler Bernier, told Boston 25 News that he barricaded himself in a lecture hall with over 100 students.
Lowell police asked residents to stay away from the area of Middlesex Street, Pawtucket Street, and Broadway Street as police searched the alleged armed man.
Lowell Public Schools is also directing students to stay away from UMass Lowell’s south campus at the time.
“Students on the Bartlett and Stoklosa Cross Country teams are safely sheltering inside their schools,” Lowell public schools said. “Students who are still on buses will be delayed because of the rerouting of traffic, so be patient at the bus stop. Any student who cannot get to their bus stop do to the lockdown in the South Campus area will be taken to the Moody School.”
Massachusetts Congresswoman Lori Trahan posted on social media that she is monitoring the situation and asked people to follow directions from officials.
Boston 25 News has reached out to Lowell city officials, Lowell police and UMass Lowell Police.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
