PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Hinsdale man responsible for the murder of Kassedi Clark pleaded guilty Monday in Berkshire Superior Court.

 

Michael Boulais, 34, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, reckless endangerment of a child, and improper storage of a firearm.

 

Judge John Agostini sentenced Boulais to serve life in prison at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction without parole on the first-degree murder charge.

 

Boulais shot and killed the 24-year-old Clark on April 13, 2018. Clark and Boulais had been in a relationship for nine years and had four children together. They were estranged at the time of her murder, which occurred during an argument at Boulais' Hinsdale home. 

 

Clark attended Taconic High School and was studying to be a nurse, with an interest in becoming a midwife, according to her Facebook profile.

 

"I send my condolences to Kassedi's family and friends for their tragic loss," District Attorney Andrea Harrington said.

 

"This is a just outcome for yet another domestic violence homicide in our county. I thank the law enforcement personnel for their investigation into the matter and our victim witness advocates for helping the family cope with such a terrible situation."

 

State police units including the crime lab and investigative services, Hinsdale and Dalton Police Departments, and Berkshire County sheriff's office conducted the investigation.

 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Firefighters responded to a fire in a Mohawk Forest apartment that was already mostly extinguished by the time they arrived.

 

The call came over the scanner just after noon Friday. Dispatch reported that smoke was seen bellowing out of apartment 34.

 

"We were right on scene and there was a little light haze of smoke down near the front door," Lt. Brent Lefebvre said. "We went into the building and found just some charring and some embers above the stove in the cabinets. We put it out with a water extinguisher."

 

Fire Chief Stephen Meranti said the occupant appeared to have left a stove burner on but at the time of the call was not in the apartment. He said heat detectors were triggered along with the internal smoke detectors that rang throughout the building.

 

An on-duty maintenance man noticed the alarm, entered the apartment, took the pan off the stove and doused the fire with some water, the chief said.

 

Although he was successful in containing the fire to just the kitchen and had it largely extingured before the trucks arrived, Meranti said the department never recommends that anyone ever enter a possible burning building. 

 

"The guy did a good job and by doing that did contain it to that area but putting yourself in that situation without protection — we do not recommend it," he said.

 

Meranti said people should call 911 and only direct firefighters toward a blaze.

 

Lefebvre said firefighters checked to see if the fire spread through the walls but determined the damage was really concentrated near the stove. 

 

Meranti said the occupant will stay with family until the damage is repaired by Mohawk Forest staff. There was a dog in the apartment that was rescued.

 

North Adams Police and the Wire and Alarm Division, and Northern Berkshire EMS were on scene.

ADAMS, Mass. —  A possible hostage situation that lasted more than three hours ended around 7 p.m. on Tuesday with one person in custody.

 

According to a statement by the Adams Police Department, the report of a possible domestic violence/hostage situation on Notch Road was called in about 3:30 p.m. 

 

The Adams Police Department activated the Berkshire County Special Response Team, and called for additional assistance from the state police and the North Adams Police Department.

 

Police say they had started receiving Facebook messages from a man stating that there was a threat of a firearm in the home and that he was unable to leave the home safely to the perimeter police had established around the area. Friend Street had been blocked between Lincoln and Maple Street and the connecting streets on Valley Street. 

 

Officers attempted to maintain communication with the individual through Facebook and phone calls. It was apparent that as the situation continued and communications were continued that the individual who had originally contacted the police was possibly under the influence of an illicit drug and/or alcoholic beverages or having a possible mental health crisis.

 

The Special Response Team was able to move into the home and safely secured two men within the home. Officers reported that the person who had originally contacted the police had been destroying everything in the home and screaming at the top of his lungs. This person was transported to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield for an evaluation, and the other person was arrested on an outstanding warrant from New Hampshire and will face a fugitive from justice charge.

 

No further charges have been filed at this time and the incident remains under investigation by the Adams Police Department. Because of the nature of this call and the possibility of domestic violence, no further information will be made available.

 

The Adams Police Department stated it would like to thank all the outside agencies involved in this incident to include members of the Berkshire County Special Response Team, state police, North Adams Police Department, and the Adams Ambulance Service for their swift response and support throughout this incident.

ADAMS, Mass. —  Adams Police had a busy few days that included pursuing a man who ran from a traffic stop and arresting a teenager who drove a truck into a house.

 

The first arrest was made Friday morning just before 1 when an officer attempted to stop a silver Mercedes on Columbia Street after running its Connecticut plates. 

 

The plates came back as suspended/revoked, according a press release from the Police Department, and the registered owner of the motor vehicle had had the right to operate suspended.

 

The Mercedes did not stop and took off quickly down Burt Street and through the intersection at Friend Street, where the driver then crashed onto a lawn.

 

According to the release, the driver then took off on foot into the woods. Kumar, the department's K9, was called on scene.

 

After a brief investigation, officers located the suspect at his parents' house.

 

The man was not the registered owner of the vehicle and also possessed a lifetime suspended Massachusetts drivers license for being a habitual traffic offender.

 

He was charged with resisting arrest, speeding, leaving the scene property damage, failing to stop for police, operating to endanger, and driving with a suspended license and registration. 

 

A second arrest was made Sunday night around 11:30 for a report of a truck crashing into a house on Leh's Lane. 

 

According to a release, police found that the driver had fled the scene in the vehicle. The truck had also hit other items, including a utility pole that was struck as the driver tried to make way through the dead-end street.

 

After conferring with a witness, officers believed that the truck was still in the area and continued their search.

 

The vehicle, which had extensive damage, was quickly located on a nearby street and officers soon after located the operator nearby.

 

Adams Ambulance personnel and the officers evaluated the operator, who was determined to be a juvenile and under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of .18 percent.

 

The boy was later arrested for operating under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of property damage, and operating to endanger.

 

Adams Fire Department was also called to the scene to check the structure of the home.

ADAMS, Mass. — Police are hoping the public can help identify the "grinch" who robbed a Howland Avenue gas station at knifepoint early Thursday morning. 

 

Patrol officers assigned to the midnight shift responded to the Mobil Gas Station at approximately 12:15 a.m. Thursday for what was reported as a masked individual who had brandished a large knife and demanded cash and cigarettes from the store clerk.

 

The person fled on foot prior to police arrival with an undisclosed small amount of U.S. currency and a pack of cigarettes.

 

Surveillance photos provided by the convenience store show a person in jeans, sneakers and an oversized gray hooded sweat shirt entering the store. The suspect has blue scarf or other material over their nose and mouth and is carrying what appears to be a long blade or cook's knife. 

 

Police are requesting assistance in an attempt to identify the person and is also looking for any home surveillance footage from Howland Avenue north of Butler Street toward North Adams as well Old Columbia Street. Anyone with with information can contact police at 413-743-1212.