Man convicted of murder in 2018 Fall River hammer attack gets a life sentence

FALL RIVER — Adam J. Levesque was sentenced to a mandatory life sentence with the possibility of parole in 25 years for the fatal hammer attack of a childhood friend during a heroine fueled evening at a Rock Street rooming house in October 2018.

“This was a crime, that quite frankly, was senseless,” said Superior Court Judge William White Jr.

The judge’s sentencing mirrored Assistant District Attorney Michael Cahillane’s recommendation of parole after 25 years.

Lance Correia, who was 39 at the time of the hammer assault, survived a month after being struck once on the side of his head. Rescuers took the injured but conscious man to Rhode Island Hospital where doctors performed emergency surgery. Correia never regained consciousness and later died at a nursing facility.

During sentencing arguments, Cahillane indicated that Correia’s mother, who passed away before Levesque went to trial, had been attending every one of the court hearings associated with the murder of her son before her death.

Victim's aunt talks about impact

Caroline Correia, Correia’s aunt and another family member, attended nearly every day of Levesque’s trial and, and through tears, read an impact statement to the judge.

“Saying that you were friends, childhood friends, makes this even harder to accept,” said Caroline Correia. “I wish for Adam while he is serving his sentence that he remains drug free and speak about this horrendous night to other drug addicted men and women to shed light on how quickly things can change and escalate when drugs are involved. This is truly the dark side of addiction.”

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Levesque’s aunt, Diane Nadeau, spoke on behalf of his family, and said that for many years due to Correia’s and her nephew’s friendship, “both Adam’s and Lance’s mothers became unwitting acquaintances.”

“Often sharing the grief and constant heartache associated with their sons addictions,” said Nadeau.

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'… never-ending cycle of addiction'

Cahillane had characterized Correia’s death as a “brutal killing.”

Defense attorney Sam Sutter asked the judge for the lesser end of the sentencing range of parole after 15 years.

He said Levesque had suffered a difficult childhood that carried into his early adult years, began using drugs as a young teenager, and over time was trapped in a “never-ending cycle of addiction.”

At trial, his former girlfriend, Shannon Smith, the prosecution's prime witness who acknowledged using heroin, testified that when she and Levesque met that he was in recovery and not using drugs.

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Smith was a co-defendant in the case initially, along with Levesque’s cousin, Jamieson Silvia.

Charges were dropped against Smith when she agreed to co-operate with the investigation and to testify at trial.

Last December, a jury acquitted Silvia on similar charges he faced in the hammer attack.

Levesque's attorney will appeal

Levesque, 42, was found guilty of second-degree murder last month after an eight-day trial and 10 hours of deliberations. Twice during deliberations, the jury sent two messages that they were deadlocked.

“Naturally I'm disappointed by the sentence today on behalf of Mr. Levesque. I was hoping 15 years and I thought we made cogent arguments for 15 years,” said Sutter. “However, the judge has made his decision and we will be appealing both the rulings that were made at trial and we will be appealing the sentence.”

After the sentencing hearing, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III released the following statement: “The defendant committed a brutal and senseless murder of his friend over drugs. He has a violent criminal history and the sentence imposed by the court is well deserved.”

Jo C. Goode may be reached at jgoode@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism and subscribe to The Herald News today!

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Adam J. Levesque gets life sentence in murder of Lance Correia