Braintree announces $14.9 million settlement for 1980 case for wrongful conviction

BRAINTREE - The Town of Braintree has reached a $14.9 million settlement in the case of Frederick Weichel v. Town of Braintree, et al.

In May, 1980, Frederick Weichel was wrongfully convicted for the murder of Robert LaMonica. Weichel served a prison sentence of 36 years, until 2010 when new details emerged when the Town of Braintree was requested public records. Weichel would be released and exonerated in 2017.

Shortly after, Weichel sued public authorities, including the Town of Braintree and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A trial took place in 2022 where jurors ruled that the state should pay $33 million. However, due to a law that protects the Commonwealth from liability of anything exceeding $1 million. Weichel and his attorney determined that the Town of Braintree faced greater monetary exposure.

After multiple years of casework and legalities, Braintree and Weichel came to a settlement of $14.9 million. Mayor Erin V. Joyce of Braintree will work with the town and other official’s on paying the settlement.

In a statement from Mayor Joyce on the Town of Braintree website, she says, “There are no winners with this case. Mr. Weichel spent 36 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He missed out on the opportunity to have a family, to travel, or to enjoy all the normal experiences of life we take for granted. Mr. Weichel was found innocent and wants to rebuild his life. In my judgment, the Town reached a sensible settlement with Mr. Weichel that is fair to him and prudent under the circumstances. To control the impact on our own financial stability going forward, we are aggressively pursuing insurance coverage collections with the help of our legal team, and we anticipate recovering a meaningful portion of this settlement.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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