An Attleboro, Massachusetts, man accused of stabbing his younger brother to death on Memorial Day was ordered held without bail at his arraignment Monday.
James McCormick, 51, appeared in Attleboro District Court on a murder charge in connection to the death of his brother, 47-year-old Richard McCormick, of North Attleboro. James McCormick was originally charged with assault with intent to murder, but the district attorney's office upgraded the charge to murder last week.
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Monday, prosecutors described the troubling scene that police encountered on Melissa Drive on May 27, according to NBC10 Boston affiliate WJAR.
“When police arrived on scene, they noted that the defendant 51-year-old James McCormick and his girlfriend, Dawn Door, were present inside 6 Melissa Drive and were yelling inside the residence,” said Assistant Bristol County District Attorney Danielle Pixley. “The officers could hear a male yelling somewhat to the effect of ‘So you’re not going to help me and tell me its self-defense? He tried to stab me.’"
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Richard McCormick was lying in a pool of blood, and an autopsy report revealed he had sustained a total of 10 wounds, WJAR reports.
James McCormick's attorney argued in court Monday that the stabbing was self-defense, and that Richard McCormick allegedly attacked his brother's girlfriend first, according to WJAR.
“It’s no question that Richard McCormick was rageful and in fact hit her first and then started going after my client,” said James McCormick’s defense attorney. “What my client did was justified.”
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James McCormick's defense attorney also brought up that Richard McCormick had his own criminal record, WJAR reports.
“Mr. McCormick, Richard McCormick the deceased, was in California for a number of years and was in fact convicted and served a substantial amount of prison time for sexually assaulting a minor,” the defense attorney claimed.
Regardless, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office said that does not justify a deadly stabbing, according to WJAR.
“It’s a very tragic case, yet very violent case. I mean stabbing your own brother multiple times to death,” DA Thomas M. Quinn III said. “It just shows you the tragedy that occurs in our communities that the family has to endure and deal with, very sad.”
James McCormick was ordered held without bail Monday, and a virtual probable cause hearing was set for July 11.
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