Two more men faced a judged Monday in connection with the grisly death of a man whose body was found burned and covered in bubble wrap last week in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Daniel Luis Rivera, 27, and Primitivo Matos, 35, both of Worcester, were arraigned in Worcester District Court on charges of accessory after the fact to murder. Both pleaded not guilty.
The body of 30-year-old Benjamin Pacheco was found the morning of Sept. 10, when firefighters responded to an area near 277 Granite St. at about 6 a.m.
Pacheco, a native of Puerto Rico and a music producer known as "Benny Beats," was covered by a blanket and bubble-wrap material, according to investigators.
A third man, Rafael Guzman, 35, was charged Friday with accessory after the fact of murder in connection to Pacheco's death. After pleading not guilty, the judge ordered Guzman held on $100,000 bail. Authorities said Pacheco was related to Guzman.
"Mr. Guzman had a relationship with the victim, in that the victim was basically his step-uncle," Assistant District Attorney David Feraco said in court.
Prosecutors allege Pacheco was killed inside Guzman's apartment at Great Brook Valley Housing Development.
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"He suffered a sharp, penetrating wound to the neck and his manner of death was homicide," Feraco said.
After reviewing surveillance video at the apartment, police said Guzman and two other men were observed carrying a large bundle from the building.
"Mr. Guzman and two other individuals were observed carrying a large bundle wrapped in plastic bubble wrap and material on the inside of 36 Great Brook Valley and putting it into the car," Feraco said.
The two other men were later identified as Rivera and Matos. Prosecutors say both men had the same story when interviewed by police.
Rivera "acknowledged that he was in the apartment, he acknowledged helping to remove material from Mr. Guzman's apartment, but denied knowing that any of the objects he removed was a body," Feraco said, alleging the same of Matos.
Additional surveillance video showed Rivera's vehicle driving up and down Granite Street last Tuesday morning and stopping for several minutes near the spot where Pacheco's body was later found, according to authorities.
Rivera was ordered held on $75,000 bail and Matos was ordered held on $150,000 bail. Both men had open criminal matters with the court, so their previous bail was revoked.
It's unclear when any of the men are due back in court.
