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March 6, 2008

Man, 26, is charged with Fall River murder

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- A Fall River man has been charged with the murder of 47-year-old Frederick Thompkins, whose body was found on Feb. 15.

Rene Gosselin, 26, of 29 Blaine St., was arrested around 4 p.m. yesterday, Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter announced. He pleaded not guilty today and is being held without bail at the Dartmouth House of Corrections.

Thompkins’ body was found in his third-floor apartment at 215 Whipple St., Fall River.

The two men were “known to each other,” but Gregg Miliote, spokesman for the Bristol County district attorney’s office, would not comment on a motive. Gosselin allegedly bludgeoned Thompkins to death.

In a news release, Sutter lauded the work of the Fall River police, the state police detectives unit assigned to the district attorney's office and assistant district attorney Pat Bomberg, who helped coordinate the probe.

“As I have said every time we have brought charges in a homicide, it is through the tremendous cooperation and skill of the local police department, our state police unit and my prosecutors, that we are able to achieve our goals," Sutter said in the statement.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 11:52 AM | Permalink

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Matt Clarkin | March 6, 2008 12:05 PM link

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