A Massachusetts teen has been indicted in the gruesome murder of a classmate whose headless body was found on the banks of the Merrimack River late last year.
The body of 16-year-old Lee Viloria-Paulino was discovered in Lawrence on Dec. 1. Less than a week later, Mathew Borges, then 15, was arrested.
Borges, now 16, was indicted Monday on first degree murder charges by an Essex County grand jury.
"This indictment alleges a gruesome act of violence by the defendant and is the first step in a long process to secure justice for Mr. Paulino and his loved ones," District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said, according to a statement from his office.
If Borges is convicted, he would face a life sentence. But because he was a minor at the time of the killing, he would have the possibility of parole after 20 to 30 years.
Viloria-Paulino's body was found by a woman walking her dog along the Merrimack River on Dec. 1. He had last been seen on Nov. 18. According to a police report, surveillance video showed him leaving a house with Borges that day. The report also said Borges told authorities he had smoked marijuana with Viloria-Paulino on the night he disappeared, but also said he left him alive near the Merrimack River.
A witness also reportedly came forward to police, claiming Borges told them what he had done.
