Convicted Killer Pleads Not Guilty To '88 Fall River Murder
BOSTON (CBS/AP) -- Twenty-five-years after the murder of a young mother in Fall River, investigators believe they have tracked down her killer.
Daniel Tavares was arraigned Monday on murder charges in the 1988 murder of Gayle Botelho.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports
Man Charged In 1988 Cold Case Murder
Tavares pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail. He is already serving a life-sentence for murder in Washington state.
Twelve years after Botelho's murder, her remains were found buried in the backyard of a home where Tavares used to live.
"I always had hope, you know, what goes around comes around," said Botelho's sister Beverly Sousa.
Botelho and Tavares knew each other, authorities said, and last year, a woman who had given Tavares an alibi changed her story. Tavares told authorities where to find Botelho's body, and he had previously told police that she died during a "wild party."
Tavares had pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 1991 death of his mother and was in prison until 2007.
A judge in Massachusetts released him on personal recognizance while he was awaiting trial for assaults on prison guards, despite protests from prosecutors, who asked for $100,000 cash bail.
Tavares fled to Graham, a rural town south of Tacoma in Washington.
He shot to death Brian and Beverly Mauck, his neighbors, in what authorities said was a dispute over a $50 debt. Tavares pleaded guilty in their deaths and is serving a life sentence in Washington.
"He's serving life out there in Washington, but my sister mattered," said Botelho's sister. "So it's good there's some sort of closure."
Tavares is due back in court in Massachusetts Oct. 16.
WBZ-TV's Bill Shields contributed to this report.
