Lowell Manhunt: Murder Suspect Ross Elliott Found Dead

LOWELL, MA — The manhunt for Lowell murder suspect Ross Elliott ended Friday afternoon as police announced they finally found the suspect after a search that lasted more than 24 hours. Police announced at about 1:52 p.m. that officers found Elliott dead of a gunshot wound. His body was found in the trunk of a car in Chelmsford on Research Place. A woman made the grisly discovery, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.

"It's a startling discovery," Ryan said during a news conference Friday afternoon.

Elliott, 51, is accused of gunning down Nicole White, 44, early Thursday with a child nearby on Stevens Street. That afternoon, an off-duty firefighter said he found Elliott hiding under a motorcycle cover at the firefighter's residence. Elliott threatened the man with a gun and fled on foot. It was the last confirmed sighting of the suspect before he was found Friday afternoon.

Elliott was considered "armed, dangerous and increasingly desperate," Lowell police Chief William Taylor said during a news conference Friday morning.

The child who was next to White during the shooting was rescued and is currently under the protection of authorities, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.

A state police helicopter, armored vehicles and SWAT teams — among other law enforcement assets — were involved in the search. (Subscribe to Massachusetts Patch news alerts for updates on this story and more. iPhone/iPad users: download the new Patch app.)

Police issued a shelter-in-place order for the Highlands neighborhood of Lowell as they searched for Elliott Thursday night. Those in the area captured dramatic video of the manhunt:

Police believe Elliott approached the woman in a common area of a woman's residential building. He then allegedly assaulted and fatally shot her before fleeing. Lowell police secured a Gorham Street residence believed to be connected to the suspect.

Elliott and the victim were known to each other and had previously been in a domestic relationship, authorities said.

The man Elliott confronted on Pine Street was off-duty Lowell firefighter David Provencher, according to WBZ. Provencher told WBZ he found Elliott hiding under his motorcycle cover, at which point Elliott pointed a gun at him and fled.

Lead photo: Ross Elliott. (Credit: Lowell Police Department)

Jason Claffey (Patch Staff) contributed to this report