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Son Arrested For Saugus Double Slayings

The son of one of the two women found dead in Saugus yesterday has been arrested for the double murder.

Joseph Wright (Essex County district attorney's office via WHDH-TV)
Joseph Wright (Essex County DA's office via WHDH-TV)

In a statement, the Essex County district attorney's office said Joseph Wright, 23, of Lynn, was arrested last evening while attempting to cross into Canada from Maine. According to the DA's office, Wright is the son of Donna Breau, one of the victims.

Early yesterday, Breau, 54, of Lynn, was found dead outside Lynnhurst Elementary School in Saugus. The other female victim has not yet been identified, but authorities said the woman was a close relative of Breau.

The DA's office said Wright will be arraigned in Houlton, Maine, this afternoon on a fugitive from justice charge. If Wright waives extradition, the DA said, he will return to Massachusetts to face murder charges.

Update at 12:45 p.m.: The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald say the other victim in the double murder was Melba Trahant, 83, Breau's mother and Wright's grandmother, according to an affidavit obtained by the two papers.

Both reports say Wright confessed to Canadian authorities that he sliced the throats of his mother and grandmother, before dumping the bodies at the school.

The affidavit reportedly states that Wright left the murder weapon at Trahant's house, and that Wright was captured with blood on his undershorts and on the car he was driving.

Update at 4:30 p.m.: Wright has waived his extradition in Maine and will be arraigned on murder charges in Lynn District Court tomorrow, the Essex County DA said.

The DA said the medical examiner has not completed its official identification of the second victim, which multiple outlets have reported as Trahant.

This program aired on May 2, 2012. The audio for this program is not available.

Headshot of Benjamin Swasey

Benjamin Swasey Digital Manager
Ben is WBUR's digital news manager.

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