Sixty-one-year-old Michael Lewis of South Boston was charged with murder Tuesday at Massachusetts Suffolk Superior Court as a result of a cold case that dates back to 1984.
Lewis allegedly shot a 22 year old man to death who was helping him look for a drug dealer who informed infamous gangster Whitey Bulger of an angel dust dealer operating in South Boston, according to The Boston Globe.
The alleged victim was Brian Watson, and his remains were “found hidden among the trees and bushes by a motorist who had pulled over on Interstate 93 in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Sept. 16, 1984,” according to The Associated Press.
Lewis was arrested Friday in South Boston, according to WCVB.
He was charged with first-degree murder, according to Newscenter1.
Lewis pleaded not guilty, according to the Globe.
Massachusetts prosecutors allege that the then 24-year-old Lewis, Watson and another un-identified man drove around the neighborhood of South Boston which was widely recognized as Bulger’s turf “looking for a drug dealer they thought had told Bulger that Lewis’ associate was selling angel dust in South Boston,” according to the AP.
South Boston man ordered held without bail in 1984 cold case murder linked to drug trade, Whitey Bulger’s shakedowns https://t.co/rddzF9FAY4
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) June 1, 2022
Bulger allegedly ordered the drug dealer, who was not named, to pay the him a $5,000 payment and additionally another $1,000 per week from the man as part of a shake down, according to the AP. (RELATED: Former NHL Player Chris Nilan Talks About Whitey Bulger Pulling A Gun On Him)
Bulger was aware that the unnamed drug dealer was selling angel dust and wanted to shake him down for the proceeds of it. The unnamed angel dust dealer asked Lewis to threaten another dealer who had been said to had informed Bulger of this.
The goal of the angel dust dealer was to drive the Bulger informant and also drug dealer out of the city over the drug deal dispute, according to the Globe.
Lewis and the unnamed man allegedly drove around South Boston to seek out the alleged Bulger-informant dealer and came across Watson who said he would aid the pair in the search for the drug dealer, according to the AP.
“While the three men drove around South Boston, Lewis suddenly turned, shot and killed Watson,” according to a statement from the Suffolk Country District Attorney’s office. (RELATED: Police Solve Case Of 9-Year-Old Girl Who Disappeared While Selling Candy 62 Years Ago)
Three 1/2 years after his death in prison, Whitey Bulger-connected crimes continue to crop up. Michael Lewis, 61, arrested in Southie today and charged with killing Brian Watson in 1984 over an angel dust trafficking dispute, @joedwinell reports. https://t.co/uPs2aJhUok
— Flint McColgan (@FlintMcColgan) May 28, 2022
The cold case involved a collaborated investigation between multiple law enforcement agencies within New Hampshire and Massachusetts, according to the Suffolk D.A. statement.