News

'Too much in common': Family of Brockton murder victim on Louis Coleman case

BROCKTON, Mass. — As federal officials continue to build their case against Louis Coleman III for the kidnapping and murder of 23-year-old Jassy Correia, state police investigators are considering him for another set of violent crimes.

Mark Mylette couldn't believe his eyes when he first saw a side-by-side comparison of Louis Coleman and a DNA-based image of the man police say murdered Mark's granddaughter Ashley.

"It just stirred up a whole bunch of bad memories. We're living it again now," said Mylette.

Parabon Nano Labs in Virginia produced this image of Ashley's killer based on DNA collected from her dismembered body, which was found in the woods near the Brockton VFW in December 2014.

The District Attorney says the same killer murdered another woman and violently raped three more.

Parabon's groundbreaking technology produces images based on genetic traits found in DNA.

The same technology produced a breakthrough and an arrest in the 25-year-old murder investigation of Lisa Ziegert in Agawam.

In Brockton, Louis Coleman resembles the Parabon sketch and Ashley Mylette's family believed the deadly violence Coleman allegedly used against Jassy Correia is a red flag.

>> MORE: Boston kidnapping, murder case has DA looking at unsolved Brockton cases

When Coleman appeared in federal court last week, Mylette was there, too. He said he wanted to see Coleman for himself.

"The cases got too much in common that you can't turn the other way and say no," said Mylette.

In a recent statement, the Plymouth County DA's Office said it is taking a look at Coleman for the Brockton cases and ultimately, it's likely DNA will rule him either in or out.

"State Police Detectives assigned to our office continue to investigate the unsolved murders of two women and three violent rapes in Brockton from 2013 and 2014. The arrest of Louis D. Coleman III in Delaware has generated several calls to our State Police Unit. As with all unsolved cases, State Police will follow up and continue to investigate."

In the meantime, Ashley's family is grateful for the renewed attention.

"It's been like five years since our granddaughter and we just feel it's getting attention as it should and things are stirred up. I'm hoping maybe we can get some answers," said Mylette.

Right now, Coleman is not a suspect in the Brockton cases, but he is a potential lead and is being looked at.

Boston 25 News reached out to Coleman's lawyer for comment. He said, "I have no comment on any of this."

Boston 25 News reporter Bob Ward has been following the case for New England's Unsolved. Read his previous stories here: