Mentally ill or deliberate killer? Trial starts for man accused of killing Weymouth Police Sergeant

The man accused of disarming a Weymouth police sergeant and killing the Sgt is now standing trial. Emanual Lopes is accused of murdering Sgt Michael Chesna and Vera Adams in 2018.

The Sunday morning in July of 2018 started with Sgt Michael Chesna responding to a call for a person who ran off after crashing into another car. When on the scene – the Sgt came face to face with Emanuel Lopes who prosecutors say threw a large landscape rock at Chesna’s head. Norfolk County Assistant District Greg Connor told the jury what they say happened next. “Sgt Chesna fell to the ground. He was motionless,” said Connor. “Stood over Sgt. Chesna’s body and fired it 8 times into his head and his chest.”

We also learned a Hingham police officer watching part of the crime scene is the one who discovered the second victim after seeing three gun-shot holes in a backyard sunroom. “On the floor by the three holes in the window was 77-year-old Vera Adams,” said Connor.

Defense Attorney Larry Tipton, right out of the gate, told jurors Lopes started dealing with mental illness when he was in high school, including a suicide attempt in 2013. “Walked into an office at Weymouth high school, closed the door and listening to the voices in his head saying to kill himself. He found a pair of scissors and sliced his throat,” said Tipton.

But Prosecutors say Lopes knew and understood what he was doing when he killed Sgt Chesna. They showed video of Lopes out with friends at a 7-eleven after spending the day at a pool. Prosecutors say this video shows Lopes pacing around after getting a call from a friend who said he was back with Lopes’ on-again, off again girlfriend. “And when they got back together and she told him about it, this caused the defendant great stress,” said Connor.

The defense told the jury that “great stress” turned into a moment of psychosis where Lopes killed Chesna and Adams.

“The heroes that they are tell you nothing about mr Lopes. They tell you nothing about his mental illness, they tell you nothing about voices in his head and the erratic and unexplainable conduct for no reason that occurred other than the fact he was in the middle of a psychosis,” said Tipton.

The trial will resume Friday morning. The jury will be going on a view at the location where the crime happened.

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