By Lawrence Crook III
CNN) — Jared Remy, the son of famed Boston Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy, pleaded guilty in a Massachusetts court Tuesday to killing his fiancée Jennifer Martel just days after he was arrested for assaulting her.
Remy, 35, was sentenced to life in state prison without the possibility of parole after changing his plea to guilty after he was charged with the August 2013 stabbing death of Martel, 27.
“Jared Remy perceived that he was losing control of Jennifer Martel and lashed out at her in a fit of rage, killing her,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement. “Today, with this plea, the defendant has been held accountable for his actions. This plea ensures that Jared Remy will spend the rest of his natural life in prison.”
The gruesome details of the case rippled through the small community of Waltham, Massachusetts, after questions surfaced about why Remy had not been held on bail after his arrest just two days before the slaying.
Remy was arrested on August 13 for assault and battery after Martel told police that Remy had grabbed her neck and head and “slammed her face against a mirror” in the bathroom during an argument, according to a Waltham police report.
Martel fled the home with the couple’s daughter to a neighbor’s home and called 911.
Martel could be heard on the call, which was released by police, saying “(Remy) is just a very violent person who is on lots of medication who might need serious help.”
When Martel filed for a restraining order, she told police that Remy had been arrested before for assaulting an ex-girlfriend, according to police.
Remy was arrested by Waltham police after the incident and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He was arraigned the next morning and released after posting just $40 for the bail fee, according to Waltham District Court documents.
The next day, Remy returned to the Waltham home he shared with Martel and their child and stabbed her multiple times. The couple’s daughter was home at the time, according to police.
The Middlesex district attorney’s office conducted an internal review after Martel’s death, which resulted in some countywide procedural changes on how domestic abuse cases are handled.
Remy is the son of famed Red Sox color commentator Jerry Remy. The elder Remy played for the Red Sox as a second baseman from 1978 to 1984 and was voted an all-star his first year with the team. Remy is also considered the president of Red Sox nation, according to the Red Sox homepage.
Massachusetts abolished the death penalty in the early 1980s when lawmakers ruled it was unconstitutional. Remy will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
