Fitchburg man arraigned in 2021 slaying in Worcester; witnesses reveal details to police
LEOMINSTER - A Fitchburg man charged with a 2021 murder of a 19-year-old Worcester man was arrested for the crime after an acquaintance of his told details to authorities that the defendant shared of the murder and the subsequent disposal of the body.
Wilbert I. Nieves, 25, was arraigned Thursday in Leominster District Court.
On May 12, 2021, police responded to 46 Industrial Road after receiving a 911 call reporting that a decomposed human body covered in debris was located near a catch basin in the corner of the parking lot, according to the report filed by state police Trooper Chad Smith.
Police confirmed they located a decomposed body wrapped in plastic trash bags and a blanket while covered in dirt and rock debris, according to Smith’s report.
Through fingerprints, investigators were able to identify the victim as Franklin Mane, 19, of Worcester. Investigators also learned that Mane was entered into the National Crime Information Center as a missing person by the Worcester Police Department on March 24, 2021, and was last seen alive 18 days earlier.
After performing an autopsy, state medical examiner Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello estimated the time of death to between a few days to approximately two months. She ruled the cause of death was gunshot wounds to the torso with injuries to the heart and lungs.
On May 13, 2001, a witness “known to the Commonwealth” walked into the state police barracks in Leominster and identified Nieves as being the murderer. The witness said he learned this information from another person who is a close associate of Nieves, according to Smith’s report.
On Oct. 13, 2021, and Jan, 27, 2022, investigators interviewed another witness also “known to the Commonwealth” who had spoken, in person, with Nieves, Smith’s report states.
The second witness said Nieves told them that he murdered someone by shooting them in the body and face, according to Smith’s report.
Nieves also provided details to the witness into where he disposed of the body, the report states.
The location of the deceased was consistent with the witness’s account of the details provided by Nieves as to how he disposed of his victim, Smith’s report concludes.
On Thursday in Leominster District Court, Judge Mark E. Noonan entered a not-guilty plea on behalf of Nieves. The victim’s father was in the courtroom for Nieves’ arraignment.
Due to the severity of the charge, Assistant District Attorney Brett Dillon recommended that Nieves, who is in custody at a Massachusetts jail on unrelated firearms charges, be held without bail. David Cataldo, attorney for the defense, agreed with the ADA’s recommendation, which Noonan upheld.
In October 2018, Nieves was charged with making a bomb/hijacking threat. The charge was amended to threatening to commit a crime on Jan. 14, 2019. The case, in which he allegedly threatened to shoot employees at the business he was fired from, was continued without a finding.
On Jan. 31, 2020, Nieves was found guilty of a parole violation when he was charged with numerous firearm violations in Worcester Central District Court, including carrying a loaded firearm without a license, possession of a large-capacity firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, improper storage of a firearm, possession of ammunition without an FID card and resisting arrest.
Nieves is due back on July 28 in Leominster District Court, unless he gets indicted by the Worcester Court prior to that day, which Noonan said he expects to happen.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Wilbert Nieves of Fitchburg arraigned in slaying of Franklin Mane
