'Cold to the touch': Slain mom found with face 'wrapped in paper towels' and comforter around body after son shot her following 'dead or alive' inheritance threat, cops say

A Massachusetts antheral changeable his mother respective times, sidesplitting her wrong her ain house, aft telling radical helium would inherit the location careless of whether she was "dead oregon alive," according to police. His mother's "face was wrapped successful insubstantial towels and her assemblage was wrapped successful a comforter" erstwhile authorities recovered her.

"Officers instantly observed signs accordant with rigor mortis," Assistant District Attorney Paige Timko explained successful tribunal Monday during Anthony Nunez-Romano's arraignment, according to section ABC affiliate WCVB. The 26-year-old is facing charges of murder, possessing a firearm without a firearm recognition paper and defacing the serial fig aft allegedly sidesplitting his ma Dominga Romano, 55, astatine her residence successful Methuen connected Dec. 29.

"Her assemblage was acold to the touch," Timko said.

Witnesses and household members told cops that Nunez-Romano was diagnosed with autism and schizophrenia, and was allegedly obsessed with wanting to inherit his mother's house. Romano was a Spanish teacher astatine a section schoolhouse and described by loved ones arsenic a "really bully woman" successful interviews with WCVB and different section media outlets.

"It can't be. It conscionable can't be," a household person recalled reasoning aft proceeding astir Romano's murder. Cops had gone to Romano's location to behaviour a wellness cheque erstwhile they recovered her assemblage inside, constabulary report.

While there, Nunez-Romano allegedly told officers that his parent was changeable done a window. A weapon was aboriginal recovered wrong a room drawer, arsenic good arsenic spent ammunition casings adjacent Nunez-Romano's wallet, according to prosecutors.

Romano was recovered connected the 2nd level of her house, wherever Nunez-Romano besides lived. She had gunshot wounds to her hep and neck.

During the investigation, household and witnesses described Nunez-Romano arsenic idiosyncratic who had a past of acting "aggressive" and "unstable." A relative alleged that his obsession with his mother's location resulted successful him pressuring her to transportation ownership to him, section NBC affiliate WBTS reports.

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Family told the Spanish tv presumption Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra that they hadn't heard from Romano since Saturday earlier the wellness cheque was conducted Monday. They reported being tense that Nunez-Romano had done thing to her.

At his arraignment, a comparative was caught connected camera shouting astatine Nunez-Romano arsenic helium was successful the courtroom. "Yo Anthony, what's up? What's up?!" the idiosyncratic screamed, according to WCVB.

Nunez-Romano pleaded not blameworthy and is scheduled to instrumentality to tribunal for a probable origin proceeding connected Feb. 20. He was ordered held without bail.