A murder trial in Lowell has been pushed off and three brothers accused of a 2022 killing are now seeking release from jail, following explosive revelations of an alleged cover-up involving one of the State Police detectives who investigated them.
Superior Court Judge Christopher Barry-Smith is expected to rule by Monday on whether Channa, Billoeum, and Billy Lee Phan should be granted bail. The brothers have been held without bond for over five years for the 2022 murder of Tyrone Phet.
The bail request comes after prosecutors disclosed scathing information regarding State Police Homicide Detective Scott Quigley, a primary investigator assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
In January, it was revealed that hospital records allegedly show Quigley was intoxicated in December 2023 when he lost control of his cruiser and hit a wheelchair transport van in Woburn. The crash later resulted in the death of 37-year-old Angelo Schettino, a special Olympian from Saugus.
The delay in the trial, caused by the ongoing investigation into Quigley’s conduct, has prompted defense attorneys to argue that their clients’ continued detention is unconstitutional.
“They’ve been held for five and a half years,” argued William Dolan, attorney for Channa Phan. “It’s unjust to keep them there without bail at this point.”
Assistant District Attorney Thomas Brant countered by presenting voluminous records from the Lowell Police Department, which he claims document years of “violence and brutal acts” committed by the Phan brothers as alleged gang members. Brant argues the men remain a danger to the public and should stay behind bars while the Quigley investigation unfolds.
The defense is also fighting a protective or secrecy order requested by the Middlesex District Attorney’s office over emails and other communication the office has regarding Quigley from the day of his crash forward.
The Middlesex DA’s office recently revealed that one of their employees had overheard that
Quigley was drinking at Teresa’s, a bar and restaurant in Woburn, with another trooper before the crash.
“We still don’t know the name of the other trooper,” said Mark Wester, attorney for Billy Lee Phan.
Quigley’s attorney, Christina Pujals Ronan from the Yannetti Law Firm, maintains her client’s innocence noting his fifteen-year career and his role in solving “dozens of homicides for the Commonwealth.”
Quigley has been suspended without pay, and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office has launched a formal criminal investigation into the crash. Defense attorneys warn that the revelations about Quigley’s conduct could impact other criminal cases he investigated during his tenure.
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