Lawyer For Alleged Peabody Killer Wants Evidence Tossed

PEABODY, MA -- The Salem News is reporting that the lawyer for a man accused of killing two people in a Peabody home last year asked a judge to throw out nearly all the evidence in the case, including the bodies of the victims, Mark Greenlaw and Jennifer O'Connor. John Apruzzese, the attorney for Wes Doughty, filed a motion in March that argues police obtained the evidence in a second search of the home after an initial, emergency search but before they had applied for a search warrant.

The motion stems from the fact that the only evidence discovered on the initial search of the house was a shotgun and ammunition. It was only during the second search that an police officer noticed the foot of Greenlaw's body. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for June 15. Doughty, 40, is charged with two counts of murder, rape, attempted arson of a dwelling, armed carjacking and kidnapping.

On Feb. 17, 2017 police found the bodies of Greenlaw, 37, and his girlfriend O'Connor, 40, wrapped and rolled into rugs in the basement of the building. Greenlaw, 39, was killed with a shotgun blast to the face, and O'Connor, 37, was raped and had her throat slit, prosecutors said. It was the most horrific crime scene some veteran officers had ever seen.

One of the suspects, Michael Hebb, pleaded guilty in October to helping cover up O'Connor's murder and trying to burn down the house. He was sentenced up to seven years in prison. Prosecutors said he could still be charged in the death of Greenlaw.

Investigators have been back to the house to conduct other investigations, including once last month.

For more on this story, see the Salem News. Subscribe to Peabody Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).