DANVERS MASSACHUSETTS, A Massachusetts teenager has been arrested and charged with murder after police say he fatally stabbed a woman in her home and later admitted to the killing.
Authorities identified the suspect as 18-year-old Anthony DeMayo, who faces charges of murder and home invasion in connection with the death of 68-year-old Janet Swallow.
According to investigators, the case began to unfold when a woman reported seeing a young man walking through her neighborhood carrying a large knife and behaving suspiciously. The witness told police the individual appeared distressed and was making stabbing motions toward nearby bushes, prompting her to call 911.
Police soon located the suspect, later identified as DeMayo. According to investigators, he allegedly told officers that he had killed a woman in Danvers the night before.
Court documents indicate that DeMayo told police he had been driving around Danvers looking for a house to break into. Investigators say he eventually entered Swallow’s home through a kitchen window.
According to the documents, the suspect searched several rooms before finding Swallow asleep in her bedroom. Authorities said she was attacked while inside the home.
After the incident, investigators said DeMayo returned to his home in Lynn, Massachusetts.
Police later reviewed cellphone location data that reportedly placed DeMayo in the Danvers area during the overnight hours when the attack is believed to have occurred.
During interviews with investigators, DeMayo allegedly stated that he had planned the act and had been thinking about committing a killing for some time.
A local resident who contacted authorities later described seeing the suspect walking through the neighborhood shortly after the incident and said his behavior raised concerns.
During a press conference, Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker described the alleged killing as a random act and said investigators had found no connection between the suspect and the victim.
Janet Swallow was an intensive care unit nurse and the mother of two adult sons.
Authorities said DeMayo was a senior at Bishop Fenwick High School at the time of the arrest. School officials said counseling services were being made available to students and staff following the incident.
DeMayo was scheduled to appear in Salem District Court, where he faces charges including murder and home invasion as the investigation continues.
