Man Charged With Peabody Murder Claims He Was Protecting Granddaughter

PEABODY (CBS) – A Peabody man appeared in court Tuesday to face a first-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of his longtime girlfriend, though he claims his actions were to defend a young girl.

Police say 59-year-old Brandon Hoar stabbed his girlfriend, 55-year-old Cheryl Young, to death. Police discovered the body on the living room of their shared Gates Road home on Tuesday morning.

Prosecutors said Hoar was sitting on the front porch of the home when police arrived and confessed to stabbing his girlfriend in the heart.

Police also found Young's 5-year-old granddaughter in the home unharmed.

According to the police report, Hoar claims that Young is bipolar, had been acting out recently and was making threats against the young granddaughter with a "crazy look in her eyes."

"I don't know what he told the cops because they may or may not have told me in here," said Hoar's attorney, Rebecca Whitehill, following his arraignment. "There may have been a lot more than he just randomly did it."

Neighbors in the Peabody neighborhood, meanwhile, said they were stunned to hear about the murder.

"This is unbelievable, this is a really quiet neighborhood," neighbor Gina Sabella told reporters.

Hoar is being held without bail until his hearing next month.