http://www.lowellsun.com/front/ci_8054909
LOWELL -- "I hurt her. She's dead."
Silinda Sun allegedly uttered that confession to his roommate after police say he put a gun to his girlfriend's temple during a fight Friday night and pulled the trigger.
With blood all over the kitchen of their apartment at 556 Westford St., Sun wrapped Shannon Meara's lifeless body in a blanket and put her in the back of a Chevy Tahoe along with bags of trash from the apartment, prosecutor Elizabeth Dunigan alleges.
Then he drove the SUV to the Skyline Commons apartment complex in Dracut and dumped the body along with the bags of trash in a Dumpster, Dunigan said.
At 7:45 a.m. Sunday, a resident of the complex, on Skyline Drive off Mammoth Road, called police after she noticed a foot in the Dumpster.
In Lowell District Court yesterday, Judge Neil Walker ordered Sun, 38, held without bail after he pleaded innocent to murder.
Holding a photo of her daughter above her head in the courtroom, Arlene Meara hoped it would trigger a spark of guilt within Sun.
"Shannon was the most beautiful, loving and caring young woman God ever put on this Earth," the grieving mother said outside the court yesterday afternoon. Sun's roommate, Eric Anderson, 28, is charged as an accessory after the fact of murder for allegedly helping Sun dispose of the body.
Police also arrested Sen Pov, 21, and Phirun So, 22, both of 16 Walnut St., Unit 1R, about 7:30 last night, and charged both with being accessories after the fact of murder. Leone's office could not immediately be reached late last night to say how they were allegedly involved.
Walker revoked Anderson's bail on a probation violation for drug possession, then ordered him held on $100,000 cash or $1 million surety on the accessory charge.
Walker denied defense attorney Jeanne Earley's attempt at lower bail, saying Anderson has three children -- ages 2, 5 and 7 -- and a job as a contractor in the area.
Walker scheduled a probable-cause hearing in the case for Feb. 22.
"We allege that this is another unfortunate example of domestic violence, this time between a boyfriend and his girlfriend," said Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone.
A neighbor in the Westford Street apartment building told police she heard "a commotion" from Sun's apartment on Friday night.
"She heard a loud thud and later observed a Chevy Tahoe backing up to the rear of 556 Westford St.," said Dunigan, the prosecutor.
The neighbor saw Sun loading trash bags into the rear of the SUV.
When initially questioned, Anderson gave police several inconsistent statements, then admitted he was in his bedroom when he heard Sun and Meara fighting. When he went into the kitchen, Sun admitted he killed his girlfriend.
An autopsy revealed Meara, 24, died of a single gunshot to her temple.
Within two hours of finding the body, police had identified her, based on a tattoo she had of a hummingbird and the name "Shannon."
Police were aware of the tattoo because Meara and Sun had a brush with the law in September. The couple and Leonard d!cks, 37, of Lowell, were charged with armed assault in a dwelling and kidnapping for an incident at 201 Wilder St.
The case was dismissed against the couple in November after a judge found a lack of probable cause.
The mother of one of two victims in that case, who asked not to be identified, remained angry last night that Sun had been freed.
"He's a dangerous individual and he should not have been let out," the woman said. "It's outrageous that these individuals were out on $500 (bail). They're sick individuals."
The woman said she would continue to follow the case against d!cks, who she believes is still being prosecuted for the earlier case. d!cks is Anderson's half-brother.
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Nashua police arrest Lowell man wanted in parking-lot slaying
http://www.lowellsun.com/front/ci_8044342
LOWELL -- Police say Jose Villanueva was gunned down in the parking of a 7-Eleven store Sunday morning during a "spontaneous confrontation'' that began with some harsh words and ended with Malein Meas pulling out a gun and firing.
Lowell Police Superintendent Kenneth Lavallee described the shooting as an unplanned altercation that turned violent because Meas had a weapon.
"Illegal firearms are plaguing our community, and we all have to make a concerted effort to get these guns off the streets,'' Lavallee said.
Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone added, "This is another example of a young person possessing and then using deadly weapons to resolve a conflict.
Meas, 24, of 16 Prince St., Apt. 1, was arrested by Nashua police Sunday at 11:27 p.m., at the Red Roof Inn. Although Meas fled over state lines, Nashua police were armed with a fugitive-from-justice warrant for the Lowell murder. He was arrested without incident, but officials remain mum on how they were tipped off to Meas' whereabouts.
Meas was scheduled to be arraigned this morning in Nashua District Court on the fugitive-from-justice warrant. If he waives a rendition hearing, he will be transported to Lowell District Court to be arraigned on the murder charge.
Meas' arrest comes less than 24 hours after Villanueva, 36, of Lowell, was found with multiple gunshot wounds outside the 7-Eleven convenience store at Westford and Chelmsford streets, near the Lord Overpass.
When emergency personnel arrived at the store at 2 a.m., Villanueva was rushed to Lowell General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"I want to commend the Lowell Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police for their quick and efficient work in piecing together the evidence in this case, making an arrest within 24 hours of the incident," Leone said. "We also want to thank Nashua police for their cooperation in making this arrest last evening."
The slaying is eerily similar to the killing on June 13, 2006, of Bonla Dy, of Lawrence, only a few parking spaces away from yesterday's shooting. Jerry Meas, 22, of Lowell, a known gang member, is still awaiting trial for Dy's murder.
It is unclear if Jerry Meas and Melein Meas are related
