Waltham Man Pleads Guilty to Wife's 2014 Murder

WALTHAM, MA – A Waltham man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty Thursday to stabbing his wife to death on New Year's Eve two years ago.

Julio Resto, 52, was sentenced to life in prison in Middlesex Superior Court; he pleaded guilty to second degree murder in the 2014 death of his wife, 42-year-old Gloria Resto.

Resto was also sentenced to 25 years of concurrent probation on seven counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.

In the early morning hours of December 31, 2014, police were called to the home Resto and his wife shared on Clocktower Drive to perform a well-being check. As officers responded to the residence, Resto walked into the lobby of the Waltham Police Department holding a large knife, according to the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office.

The DA's office said Resto banged the knife against the glass window of the police operations division and called out to officers before turning and leaving.

According to the DA, Resto proceeded down Lexington Street with the knife, where officers called for him to drop his weapon. Turning toward the officers, he repeatedly asked them to kill him, shouting "Shoot me! I have nothing to live for! I just killed my wife!"

When police attempted to apprehend him, he lunged at them multiple times. He was ultimately subdued with a beanbag gun, according to previous Patch reports.

An autopsy performed on Gloria Resto revealed she had been stabbed approximately 21 times on the head, neck torso and other extremities, the DA's office said.

"The defendant in this case was angry at the victim who had recently asked him to move out of their shared home following tension in the relationship that had escalated around Christmas Day," Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a release. "On New Year’s Eve, that anger led the defendant to violently attack his wife. The attack cost Gloria Resto her life and left two boys without their mother."

As part of Resto's sentencing, he has been ordered to cease contact with the victim's sons and not attempt to profit from his crimes.

"The defendant today accepted responsibly for the death of his wife, Gloria Resto, which we hope will bring comfort to the victim’s two sons, her family and her friends," Waltham Police Chief Keith MacPherson said in a statement. "I would like to thank the Waltham Police Department, the State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the prosecutors for their hard work and dedication to bringing a resolution to this case."

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