DNA Leads Investigators to Murder Suspect

A Charlestown man has been indicted on charges alleging he killed a man at a Jerome Street home in February, prosecutors said.

Investigators were led to Gerald Sullivan, 37, by DNA collected at 55 Jerome Street that was matched with a sample in a criminal database, according to a statement from Middlesex County District Attorney Gerry Leone.

Sullivan was indicted by a Middlesex County Grand Jury Thursday on a murder charge and 12 other counts stemming from the alleged home invasion that turned fatal, Leone announced Thursday afternoon.

Wearing masks, Sullivan and second suspect, who is still at-large, pushed through the door at 55B Jerome Street about 10 p.m. on February 18 and demanded cash and jewelry, prosecutors said in the statement.

A struggle ensued and one of the men fatally shot Johnny Hatch, 37, and severly injured his father, John Vieira, prosecutors said.

Medford and State police collected DNA evidence at the scene and found three identical samples, prosecutors said. The DNA was run through the national Combined DNA Index System, and it turned up as a match to Sullivan.

Vieira was the victim of a robbery while staying at a home on Water Street about three months earlier, Medford Police Chief Leo Sacco said during a meeting with Medford city councilors in March.

Sacco said the two incidents could be connected, and also hinted DNA evidence could lead investigators to the suspects.

"Hopefully DNA will help us solve (the) matter," Sacco said at the time. "But at this point it's pretty strictly an evidentiary case."

Sullivan had not yet been arrested as of Thursday afternoon, according to the release from Leone. A warrant had been issued.

Along with the murder charge, Sullivan also faces two counts of home invasion, armed assault to murder, armed assault to rob, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal, possession of ammunition as an armed career criminal, and five counts of being a habitual offender.