Pregnant woman slain at Lynn apartment, boyfriend's brother arrested, DA says

A pregnant woman was found stabbed to death at her apartment in Lynn, Massachusetts, on Wednesday morning, and her boyfriend's brother was arrested on suspicion of killing her, authorities said Thursday.

Brianna Welsh, 25, was found dead at her apartment at an apartment complex on Lynnway after her mother called maintenance to have them check on her, according to the Essex County District Attorney's Office.

Zachary Vozzella, 26, was arrested after an investigation involving state and local police and appeared in Lynn District Court Thursday, where not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf on charges of murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Welsh was killed a day after she called 911 to report her boyfriend — her alleged killer's brother, Brendan Vozzella — had punched her in the stomach, Assistant District Attorney Kate MacDougall said in court Thursday. He was detained around 2 p.m. Tuesday while Welsh was at Salem Hospital.

She was released a few hours later and was home by about 6:15 p.m., while Brendan Vozzella remained behind bars.

Zachary Vozzella, who was homeless, had been staying with the couple, according to prosecutors. He told police he wasn't alone at the apartment with Welsh when she came home from the hospital. He said he had relocated to a building in Lynn, where investigators say they found a knife that tested positive for blood.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.

Welsh's mother called maintenance at the building to check on her daughter, who hadn't yet gotten in touch that day, which was unusual, and the woman was found dead with apparent sharp-force injuries, MacDougall said.

Investigators soon tracked down Brendan Vozzella, who said he hadn't gone back to the apartment and was wearing the same clothes he'd had on since his initial arrest, which didn't show any blood, according to MacDougall. The investigators turned to Zachary Vozzella, who initially said he'd been at a Dunkin' all day, though police found that wasn't the case.

Zachary Vozzella later told police he'd been at the apartment from 2 to 8:30 p.m., but never saw Welsh, MacDougall said. However, the key fob for her apartment showed she used it about 6:15 p.m. and that "whoever last left the apartment" used it about 8:30 p.m. — no other door openings were recorded until the welfare check.

Investigators found her keyfob in a backpack at the relative's home where Vozzella said he'd been staying, along with clothes and a knife that tested positive for blood. Video footage showed him returning to the home with his backpack and a trash bag, MacDougall said.

Asking the judge to hold Vozzella without bail, MacDougall noted that he doesn't have a criminal record, but that he was essentially homeless, and that "there was some indication that they had been kicked out of the home as a result, obviously, of the domestic incident with the brother, but there's also some information that she had wanted this defendant to move out as recently as last week."

Vozzella's court-appointed lawyer said more investigation would be needed as he worked to defend his client. He also noted that Vozzella appeared in court in a cleaning outfit because police had taken his clothes.

The judge ordered Vozzella held without bail ahead of a probable cause hearing on Sept. 10.

Brendan Vozzella was being held on domestic violence charges after he was arraigned Wednesday, MacDougall said.

Lynn's mayor, Jared Nicholson, said in a statement that Welsh's killing was made "even more tragic, chilling, outrageous, and impossible to comprehend" by her pregnancy, while Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker said that while the loss of Welsh and her unborn child would be unbearable for her family, "I hope that our efforts to seek justice on her behalf assures them that we and the community support them."

Authorities initially gave an incorrect age for Vozzella.