Man Found Guilty of Raping, Killing Wife's Twin Sister

WORCESTER — A man accused of raping and smothering to death his then-wife’s twin sister has been found guilty of first degree murder.

• Get Worcester breaking news and alerts
• Like Worcester Patch on Facebook
• Next: The Weekly Shuffle: Mermaid’s at Stageloft, 3 Bands at the Cove, Flowers at Tower Hill

A Worcester Superior Court jury on Thursday found Steven D. West guilty of first-degree murder in the 2012 asphyxiation death, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.

West, 24, raped and murdered Alyssa A. Haden, 20, on Oct. 10, 2012, in the apartment at 14 Pleasant St., Spencer, they shared with his then-wife, Caitlin West, and the Wests’ infant son, said the district attorney. Caitlin West was in the hospital at the time getting ready to deliver the couple’s second child.

Judge Janet Kenton-Walker scheduled sentencing for 2 p.m. tomorrow. First-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.

West first told investigators that Miss Haden was killed by gang members from his native Indiana, then claimed another man was responsible and gave other inconsistent statements about her death.

An autopsy determined that she died from asphyxia caused by compression of her face, neck and chest. West weighed more than 400 pounds at the time of the murder.

“This was a difficult case,” Early said in a statement. “The defendant told a series of lies, and I’m glad the jury was able to see through them to deliver the appropriate verdict.”

Early praised Assistant District Attorneys Brett F. Dillon and Cheryl R. Riddle for their successful prosecution and the State Police Detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s Office and Spencer Police for their thorough investigation.