An Essex County Grand Jury Thursday indicted a 48-year-old Cedar Street man for the June murder of Groveland’s Patsy Schena, moving the case to Superior Court, District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett’s office confirms.
Leedell Graham was indicted for murder, breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony and home invasion Oct. 3 in connection with the June 21 death of the former Groveland town building inspector.
He is scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court at a later date.
As WHAV reported last summer, Graham is said to have known Schena through “business dealings” not related to Schena’s town position. The medical examiner declared Schena’s death the result of “blunt and sharp force trauma” and court records indicate Graham allegedly used a lamp from Schena’s Governors Road home to kill him.
According to a police report, Graham was seen on public and private surveillance cameras walking from Haverhill into Groveland and into Schena’s home at 4:16 p.m. on June 21. Schena arrived home at 4:23 p.m. and a call to Groveland Police came in just before midnight. A forensic investigation done by Groveland Police Saturday morning determined he was killed Friday night.
A bag of items containing the handle of a knife, Schena’s car keys and the lamp was dumped near Schena’s home further linked him to the crime. The other end of the knife was found inside Schena’s home. A couple walking their dog a half-mile from Schena’s home came across clothing allegedly worn by Graham on the night of the murder wrapped around jewelry identified as stolen from Schena by family members.
Groveland Police Chief Jeffrey Gillen said Schena was a true gentleman and remembered his friend fondly after his death earlier this year.
“He was very popular and well known,” Gillen told WHAV. “He was well liked by everyone that knew him. I personally knew him and it’s cut to the core of our community. He was a wonderful man.”