BOSTON — New details in the gruesome killing of two well-regarded Boston doctors sheds new light on the connection between the engaged couple and the man who allegedly slit their throats inside their South Boston penthouse.
During the bedside arraignment of murder suspect Bampumim Teixeira, 30, at Tufts Medical Center Monday, prosecutors detailed events that allegedly took place after Dr. Lina Bolanos and Dr. Richard Field were killed.
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According to prosecutors, a friend of the couple called police and said he received a text message from Field, which was described as “a plea for help.” The text message said there was a gunman in the apartment, which prosecutors say was detailed in a recorded 911 call from the friend.
Officers who showed up at the condo found a set of keys on the floor in front of the door. Police said they knocked and announced their presence. When no one answered, officers said they used the keys found on the floor to enter the apartment, which was dark inside.
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There they were met by Teixeira in a darkened hallway, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley.
Also, Conley said, investigators found a replica gun or BB gun near a bag filled with Bolanos’ jewelry.
Conley held a news conference Monday to correct information that was incorrectly provided to the media following the killings.
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He said Teixeira did not shoot at responding officers as it was reported by Boston police Commissioner William Evans. As the investigation got underway, it was learned that that did not happen.
“It was important to correct the record,” Conley said.
He also condemned “anonymous sources” who released details about the crime scene to the media Friday night.
Conley said family and friends of the victims learned gruesome details about the deaths of Dr. Lina Bolanos and Dr. Richard Field through the news.
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“Some of those details were flatly, incontrovertibly wrong,” he said.
Conley also said police don’t believe Teixeira knew the victims.
“There is no evidence, whatsoever, at this stage to conclude that this defendant had a personal relationship with Dr. Bolanos or Dr. Field…nor is there any evidence to explain why he would attack them so viciously in their own home,” he said.
Police say, however, that Bampumim Teixeira once held a security job for their luxury penthouse condominium sometime before 2016. BPD reports also indicate Teixeira was not employed there recently, according to the AP.
Conley said his correction of the initial report was not to discredit the officers involved in the confrontation, rather simply to correct the record.
“[It was] chaotic, dark, high tension…officers believed he pointed a weapon at them,” Conley said. “We are not drawing any negative connotations of these actions, we are simply looking to correct the record.”
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A letter sent to residents of the high-end condo building on Dorchester Avenue confirmed that Teixeira once worked in the building as a concierge.
Field’s younger brother spoke with Boston 25 News by phone saying Field, from England, and his fiancée, Bolanos, from Colombia, bonded over being immigrants.
“They were just a fantastic match, he told Boston 25 News. “She was just as outgoing and adventurous as my brother. She was just as dedicated as he was to work.”
The victims' families released a joint statement to Boston 25 News on Tuesday morning that read:
“Their passing is a tragedy beyond measure and our lives will forever be changed. However, we want to remember Richard and Lina for who they were, not how they died. Their impact in the world--in the lives of those who they loved, those who loved them, and the patients that they cared for—is the real newsworthy story. We will remember and celebrate their passion, gentility, and extraordinary kindness forever."
Funeral arrangements have also been announced by the victims' families.
A memorial service will be held in honor of Field and Bolanos at 10 a.m. Friday at Gates of Heaven Catholic Church, 615 E 4th Street, Boston.
In lieu of flowers, the families are hoping will consider a tribute donation in Field's and Bolanos' memory to the Doctors Without Borders organization.
A not guilty plea was entered on Teixeira’s behalf at his bedside arraignment.
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