Home About Archives RSS Feed

Pittsfield Woman Pleads Guilty in Husband's Slaying

Staff Reports

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Pittsfield woman pleaded guilty to a single count of involuntary manslaughter on Friday morning in Berkshire Superior Court in the stabbing death of her husband, Arthur Martin, a year ago.

Sentencing for Charlene Grandson, Martin, 46, of West Street, was continued by Judge John A. Agostini until 2 p.m. on July 8.

Arthur Martin, 49, died Feb. 8 at Berkshire Medical Center from a stab wound inflicted the night before. Grandson Martin had told police her husband had the knife and they were joking around when he was struck by the knife as she pushed is arm away.

Police said an investigation found her story didn't match the facts.

For last year's articles, click here.
 

Tags: Martin, stabbing, fight, murder, manslaughter, Superior      

Three More Arraigned in Martin Murder

Staff Reports

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Two more people were arraigned Monday morning in the murder of 26-year-old Jahda M. Martin, who was stabbed outside a Pittsfield nightspot in the early hours of March 6, 2010. Martin later died of his injuries at Berkshire Medical Center.

Allen McGraw, 26, was arrested Sunday and Crystal Gonzalez, 21, on Friday evening. They both appeared before Judge Frederic Rutberg in Central Berkshire District Court.

McGraw, of Kingston, N.Y., had not-guilty pleas entered in his behalf on single counts of murder and assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. Rutberg ordered him held at the Berkshire County House of Correction without the right to bail. He is scheduled to appear in district court for a pretrial hearing on April 8.

Gonzalez, of Springfield, had not-guilty pleas entered on her behalf on single counts of accessory after the fact to murder and accessory after the fact to assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. She was ordered held at the House of Correction on $25,000 bail. She is scheduled back in court for a pretrial hearing on April 14.

Police say McGraw, Terrance W. Brown, Trevor L. Pryce Jr. and John C. Spratling stabbed and assaulted Martin in the Burger King parking lot by Wendell Avenue Extension. Martin, of Hamlin Street, Pittsfield, was a star athlete at Lee High School, from which he graduated in 2002. He later attended Long Island (N.Y.) University.

Brown, 26, was arrested in Springfield on the night of March 10 and returned to Pittsfield on Thursday morning, when he was charged on single counts of murder and assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. He had not-guilty pleas entered on his behalf and was ordered, also by Rutberg, to be held at the House of Correction with out right to bail. Brown is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial hearing on April 8.

It is alleged that Gonzalez was operating the vehicle carrying Brown when he was arrested in Springfield on the Pittsfield warrant.

Pryce and Spratling were arraigned on March 8.

Tags: Martin, murder, arraignment, Pittsfield      

Two Charged in Pittsfield Stabbing

Staff Reports

Updated 3:17 p.m., March 8: Two men were arrested and charged with the Saturday morning stabbing death of Jahda M. Martin.

Trevor L. Pryce Jr., 28, of Spring Street, North Adams, and John C. Spratling, 26, of Cherry Street, Pittsfield, were arraigned on single counts each of murder and assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon.

The two appeared before Judge Paul Vrabel on Monday morning in Central Berkshire District Court. Both had not-guilty pleas entered on their behalf and were ordered held at the Berkshire County House of Correction without the right to bail.

They are scheduled to return to court for a pretrial hearing on April 8.

Investigators have also applied for and received an arrest warrant for 26-year-old Terrance W. Brown in connection with Martin's death.

An autopsy to determine the cause of Martin's death has not yet been scheduled.

Once a star athlete at Lee High School, the 2002 graduate had also played basketball while attending Long Island University.

Pittsfield Man Slain in Stabbing

Original post, March 7, 9:42 a.m.: A Pittsfield man died Saturday evening after apparently being stabbed earlier Saturday in an altercation near the Burger King on First Street.
 
The Berkshire district attorney's office said that Jahda M. Martin, 26, of Hamlin Street, was rushed to Berkshire Medical Center by ambulance in the early morning hours after police received several 911 calls at about 1:40 a.m. reporting a stabbing in the fast-food restaurant's parking lot on Wendell Avenue Extension. Police and emergency medical technicians found Martin at the scene.

The Berkshire Eagle reported that the lot is commonly used for parking by patrons of nearby Club Groove and that police said Martin had left the bar when the altercation occurred. This is the city's first homicide of the year.

An autopsy to determine the cause of death will be conducted at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Holyoke. The date and time of the autopsy have yet to be determined.

Investigators are asking anyone who may have information regarding this incident to call the Pittsfield Police Department at 413-448-9700.
 
The investigation is being conducted by members of the Pittsfield Police Department, state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office, state police from the Crime Scene Services Section and members of the Berkshire County Drug Task Force. 

Tags: Martin, stabbing, fight, murder      
Page 1 of 1 1  

Support Local News

We show up at hurricanes, budget meetings, high school games, accidents, fires and community events. We show up at celebrations and tragedies and everything in between. We show up so our readers can learn about pivotal events that affect their communities and their lives.

How important is local news to you? You can support independent, unbiased journalism and help iBerkshires grow for as a little as the cost of a cup of coffee a week.

News Headlines
Pittsfield's Tavern at The A Will Seek New Operators
'Today' Show Visiting Stockbridge
Clark Art Free Gallery Tours for Parents, Infants
Family Storytelling at the Berkshire Athenaeum
BRTA Awarded Grant to Expand Service Area
Staged Readings of 'Replacing Prancer' Announced At Dewey Hall, The Foundry
North Adams Begins Search Process for New Superintendent
Dalton and Fire District Set Tax Rates for FY25
Pittsfield Takes 'Big Step' With Supportive Housing
Letter: Save Notch Forest

Police Logs

Pittsfield Police

North Adams

Crimewatch Links

North Adams CrimeWatch

Stamford/Clarksburg CrimeWatch

Pittsfield CrimeWatch

Emergency: 911
Adams 413-743-1212
Clarksburg 413-663-7795
Cheshire 413-743-1501
Dalton 413-684-0300
Great Barrington 413-528-0306
Lanesborough 413-443-4107
Lee 413-243-2100
Lenox 413-637-2346
North Adams 413-664-4944
Pittsfield 413-448-9700
Richmond 413-698-3315
Stockbridge 413-298-4179
Williamstown 413-458-5733
West Stockbridge 413-232-7938
State Police  
Cheshire Barracks
413-743-
4700
Lee Barracks 413-243-0600
Shaftsbury, Vt., Barracks 802-442-3263

 



Categories:
Adams (92)
Alford (0)
Becket (8)
Cheshire (23)
Clarksburg (41)
Dalton (6)
Egremont (2)
Florida (9)
Great Barrington (34)
Hancock (5)
Hinsdale (5)
Lanesborough (30)
Lee (14)
Lenox (11)
Monterey (0)
Mount Washington (1)
New Ashford (4)
New Marlborough (2)
North Adams (248)
Otis (2)
Peru (3)
Pittsfield (318)
Pownal (16)
Readsboro (17)
Richmond (10)
Sandisfield (5)
Savoy (6)
Sheffield (5)
Stamford (31)
State (1)
Stockbridge (6)
Tyringham (1)
Washington (1)
West Stockbridge (1)
Williamstown (79)
Windsor (3)
Archives:
Tags:
Police Investigation Search & Rescue Break-ins Fraud Buglaries Accident Larceny Assaults Pedestrians Homicide Drugs Missing Persons Assault Mvi Search Crime Watch Injuries Burglary Robbery Stabbing Motorcycles Heroin Fatal Motor Vehicle Fire Murder Rape Shooting Hit & Run Drug Charges Armed Robbery Structure Fire Motor Vehicle Accident Vehicle Veremko
Popular Entries:
Superior Court Briefs: March 14 - March 16
Fatal Accident Closes Route 8 in Adams
Superior Court Briefs: May 2 - May 6
Woman Pleads Guilty in Sandisfield Fatal Crash
Superior Court Briefs: March 28 - March 31
Pittsfield Woman Pleads Guilty in Husband's Slaying
Superior Court Briefs: May 18 - 19
Superior Court Briefs: March 23 - March 24
Superior Court Briefs: March 8 - March 11
New Ashford Crash Turns Fatal for Williamstown Man
Recent Entries:
State Police Bust $3M Illegal Pot Growing Operation in Savoy
First-Responders Searching for Lost Hiker on Mount Greylock
Pittsfield Driver Injured in Elm Street Accident
North Adams Police Investigate Possible Shooting Incident
Williamstown Police Looking into Cemetery Vandalism
Florida Woman Dies in Motorcycle Accident
Pittsfield Fire Responds to Kitchen Blaze
Juvenile Arrested in North Adams Shooting
North Adams Police Seeking Information on Shooting Incident
Pittsfield Police Seek Information on Sunday Night Shootings