Argument over Thanksgiving meal leads to murder

MASSACHUSETTS (LUTENPRESS) – A Massachusetts man is in custody after his 80-year-old roommate died during an argument over preparing Thanksgiving meals. Authorities allege that 65-year-old Richard Lombardi fatally injured Frank Griswold after an argument turned physical at their shared home in Marshfield, about 30 miles south of Boston.

According to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, Lombardi is charged with involuntary manslaughter and battery on a person over 60 resulting in serious injury.

The altercation reportedly stemmed from Griswold being too close to the kitchen where the food was being prepared. Prosecutors allege Lombardi violently moved Griswold, causing him to fall and hit his head.

“(Lombardi) grabbed him by the back and threw Mr. Griswold to the right, knocking him to the side,” Assistant District Attorney Joseph Presley said during Lombardi’s court appearance Friday. Presley added that Lombardi told police Griswold’s feet got tangled, which led to the fall.

Lombardi called 911 after discovering Griswold unconscious and bleeding on the kitchen floor. Emergency responders transported the victim to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, where he later died. The medical examiner estimated the cause of death to be blunt force injuries to the neck and head.

Court documents indicate that Lombardi feared Griswold would contaminate the food through his sneezing. Lombardi reportedly argued with Griswold earlier in the day over his proximity to the food preparation area and later found him washing dishes near the sink.

First responders noticed cuts on Griswold’s face and found him lying in a pool of blood.

Lombardi and Griswold had been friends since they met while working in the financial services industry in the 1990s. The couple moved in together in 2001 and had lived in the Main Street home since 2008.

Defense attorney Marshall Johnson described Lombardi as “shocked and devastated” over the incident and pointed out that Lombardi only learned of Griswold’s death after his arrest. “He has resigned,” Johnson said, adding that his client is struggling to process the loss of his longtime friend.

Lombardi pleaded not guilty at his court appearance Friday and is being held without bail in the Plymouth County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court again on December 4th.