WOBURN, Mass. — Massachusetts State Police (MSP) Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble has announced an independent review and policy changes following explosive allegations of a cover-up surrounding a 2023 fatal cruiser crash. The move comes as body camera footage, obtained by 25 Investigates, reveals discrepancies between the official record and the events following the December 12, 2023, collision that later claimed the life of 37-year-old Angelo Schettino of Saugus.
In a letter sent to Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan, Colonel Noble expressed his “sympathy for the family and loved ones of Angelo Schettino” and a commitment to fully understanding any role the department may have played in the tragedy. The Colonel’s decision follows the release of hospital records, allegedly withheld by State Police, that show the driver of the cruiser, Homicide Detective Sergeant Scott Quigley, had a blood alcohol level of .114—nearly one and a half times the legal limit.
The Hospital Gap
The body camera footage suggests that members of the MSP, including a high-ranking supervisor, visited Quigley at Lahey Hospital, where he was transported by ambulance after the crash. There is no mention of the hospital visits or Quigley’s demeanor that night in any of the official reports.
As Trooper Martin Cooke raced to the crash scene, he asks to divert to Lahey Hospital, but another unidentified trooper tells him by phone, “You don’t have to go to Lahey because, ah, (Trooper) Mark Delaney just called me and said that he’s o.k.,” according to the video. A Woburn Police officer is later heard telling Trooper Cooke at the crash scene that a State Police Lieutenant is also at the hospital. Cooke responds, “I didn’t even know that.”
‘Just One?’
The crash was investigated by MSP Sergeant Jennifer Penton. Within minutes of arriving at the scene, Sergeant Penton was told that Quigley had “veered over the line,” according to a statement made by the other driver to Woburn Police. Trooper Cooke responded, “just one?” when Penton acknowledged on video that she had only been assigned to investigate one previous crash for the MSP.
Sgt. Penton waited eight days to question Quigley, according to her report. She issued Quigley a written warning for a marked lanes violation after Quigley stated he couldn’t remember why he lost control of his unmarked Ford Escape. In an unrelated matter, Sgt. Penton and three other troopers were suspended with pay earlier this month after they were indicted for their alleged roles in the 2024 death of MSP recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia at the State Police Academy in New Braintree.
Legal Fallout
‘They absolutely knew:’ Defense attorney challenges timeline in deadly Trooper crash
Quigley’s credibility is now the focus of a murder trial in Lowell that he had been scheduled to testify in. Quigley is one of the homicide detectives, assigned to the Middlesex D.A.’s Office, who investigated the 2020 shooting death of 22-year-old Tyrone Phet. Defense attorney William Dolan, who represents one of the three brothers charged with the murder, has asked a judge to allow him to question 19 people under oath about the crash, including Woburn first responders, prosecutors, and troopers.
Dolan previously told Investigative Reporter Ted Daniel that the public should be in an “uproar” if the matter is not investigated. Dolan noted that the same individuals responsible for investigating homicides in the county may be responsible for one. While the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office is fighting the request for a hearing, claiming they were unaware of the crash and toxicology results until recently, Colonel Noble has moved forward with appointing 21CP Solutions to conduct an “objective, evidence-informed evaluation”.
Immediate Reforms and Next Steps
The independent review will focus on the policies governing serious on-duty incidents, notification protocols, and internal controls. In addition to this external review, Colonel Noble has implemented immediate internal steps to strengthen oversight, such as requiring a Captain-level response to any cruiser crash involving injury or hospitalization and mandating supervisory sign-off on all initial investigative steps.
Quigley has been suspended without pay and is the subject of a criminal investigation. His lawyer maintains he will be vindicated when all the facts come out.
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