WEYMOUTH, Mass. — The new trial in the case of a man accused of murdering Weymouth Police Sergeant Michael Chesna and innocent bystander Vera Adams in July 2018 is slated to begin this week.
Opening statements in Emanuel Lopes’ murder trial are set for Wednesday, six months after a mistrial was declared in his initial trial.
During the first’ first trial, Lopes’ lawyers didn’t dispute their client fatally shot Chesna and Adams but they did question if he should be held criminally responsible, claiming his history of mental illness caused him to act irrationally in their deaths.
Jurors deliberated for five days and were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
Moments after the mistrial was declared, some of Chesna’s family members were heard gasping loudly and crying. Cindy Chesna was seen emotionally crying as she left the courtroom.
Lopes is accused of using a rock to disarm Chesna and then killing the officer with his own gun. Adams was also shot and killed while sitting nearby on her sun porch.
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