DANVERS, Mass. — An 18-year-old high school senior was charged with murder Friday after police said he confessed to fatally stabbing a 68-year-old ICU nurse in her home during a random attack. Anthony DeMayo allegedly told investigators he had “wanted to kill someone for a long time” before breaking into Janet Swallow’s Danvers residence Wednesday night.
The investigation began Thursday afternoon when Lynn police received a 911 call reporting a man walking through a neighborhood carrying a bloody knife. DeMayo, a senior at Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody, was arrested after witnesses saw him behaving erratically and stabbing bushes near homes. Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said there was “no connection” between DeMayo and Swallow, calling the attack completely random. DeMayo was ordered held without bail and sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for psychiatric evaluation after a court psychologist raised concerns about his mental state.
According to court documents filed Friday, DeMayo told police he drove around Danvers late Wednesday night looking for a home to break into. He parked near a house under construction with a portable toilet outside, then selected Swallow’s ranch-style home on Amherst Street. Police said he climbed through a kitchen window, ripping the screen to gain entry. DeMayo allegedly found Swallow sleeping in her bedroom and began stabbing her in the neck. “After the knife became stuck, he pulled her off the bed onto the floor,” according to the police report. He then left her to bleed to death and drove back to his Lynn home. Cell phone location data placed DeMayo’s phone in Danvers between midnight and 1 a.m. Thursday, prosecutors said.
Ashley O’Brien, who called 911 after seeing DeMayo in Lynn, described the encounter to local media. “He looked right in my eyes, and I just kind of looked away,” O’Brien said. “He was definitely looking to hurt somebody.” She watched from her front yard as DeMayo walked down the street carrying what appeared to be a hunting knife. “He was kind of like just swinging it around,” O’Brien told CBS Boston. “He started stabbing all these bushes. It was very bizarre.” Another Lynn resident, Chris Puzzo, said he saw DeMayo hop over a chain-link fence while carrying the weapon. Rhonda DeParolesa said DeMayo jumped her fence and tried her back door before police arrived. Officers spent about 30 minutes searching the neighborhood before taking DeMayo into custody around noon Thursday.
Swallow worked as an ICU nurse at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington and was described by colleagues as “a beloved and valued member” of the hospital community. She was divorced and had lived in the Amherst Street home for decades, according to neighbors and court records. Mark Llewellyn, who lived across the street for 16 years, said Swallow was “a great person and a great friend” who would watch his dog during trips while he cleared her driveway after snowstorms. The 68-year-old nurse leaves behind two adult sons. A memorial fundraiser described her as someone whose “kindness, presence, and love for her family left a lasting impact on everyone around her.” By Friday afternoon, neighbors had gathered outside her home to place yellow flowers and a floral cross at the base of a tree in her front yard.
During Friday’s arraignment in Salem District Court, forensic psychologist Dr. Joyce Perrotta told the judge she had interviewed DeMayo for about an hour and spoke with his family. She said he was experiencing “depressive symptoms, including restricted affect, anhedonia, and suicidal ideation” and possible psychosis. “I have concerns about his rational understanding,” Perrotta testified, noting the symptoms appeared to have persisted “for some time.” Judge Joanna Rodriguez ordered DeMayo committed to Bridgewater State Hospital for up to 20 days for evaluation of both his mental competency to stand trial and his criminal responsibility at the time of the alleged crime. His attorney, Carmine Lepore, described him as “a young man with no prior criminal history” but declined further comment. DeMayo appeared in court wearing a dark T-shirt with shoulder-length hair, speaking only to confirm he understood the bail order.
Bishop Fenwick High School President Tom Nunan Jr. said the school was cooperating fully with the investigation. “The reports reveal the incident took place off campus, did not involve any other members of our school, did not seem to indicate any connection between the victim and the person being charged with the crime, and does not present any threat to the Bishop Fenwick community,” Nunan said in a statement. Counselors were made available to students and staff Friday and will return Monday. Danvers Police Chief Jamie Lovell acknowledged the impact on both communities in a statement Friday. “When something like this happens in a place we call home, it shakes our sense of safety and touches the entire community,” Lovell said. “Incidents like this are extraordinarily rare in our community, which is why they affect us so deeply.”
DeMayo is scheduled to return to court April 1 following his psychiatric evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital. The charges against him include murder and home invasion in connection with Swallow’s death.
