Man Arrested Six Years Later for Alleged Roommate Murder and Gruesome Disposal of Body
In a shocking turn of events, a man accused of killing his roommate over a dispute involving stolen mail has been apprehended by Massachusetts police, nearly six years after the crime took place. John Hallett, now 54, reportedly attacked and choked his roommate, Paul Gonzales, to death on November 25, 2017, within their shared Michigan City apartment. The details of the horrific incident came to light through an arrest affidavit obtained by the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Both Hallett and Gonzales, who were initially homeless, were eventually placed together in a residence on West 9th Street by a local nonprofit. The situation escalated when Hallett grew convinced that Gonzales was stealing his mail and attempting to have him evicted from their shared home.
Despite the heinous act, the Michigan City Police Department only initiated an investigation into the matter in August of last year. The authorities’ attention was drawn to the residence’s basement by a cadaver dog, leading to the discovery of decomposed human remains that were later verified as belonging to Gonzales.
Michigan City Detective Lieutenant Anna Painter took swift action to identify the victim as Gonzales and Hallett as the primary suspect in his murder. In a press release by the Massachusetts State Police, it was revealed that Hallett had relocated to Cambridge, Massachusetts, after an arrest warrant was issued. His arrest took place on August 24 at his Chester Street apartment, and eyewitnesses reported the presence of around 20 law enforcement officers wearing bulletproof vests during the operation.
Hallett’s unsettling actions after the crime were also unveiled during the investigation. Painter deduced from her findings that Hallett stored Gonzales’ body in the basement for 56 days before dismembering it with a hacksaw. The severed body parts were then placed into trash bags and disposed of in the city’s residential garbage cans.
Lindsay Garito, a resident of the building where Hallett was arrested, shared her surprise at how inconspicuous Hallett appeared during the arrest. Despite the grim nature of his alleged crime, Hallett seemed unremarkable in his demeanor. He now awaits extradition to Indiana’s La Porte County Jail at the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction in Billerica, Massachusetts. The capture of Hallett serves as a grim reminder of the persistence of law enforcement in seeking justice, even years after the initial incident occurred.