Thelma Tatten, a 56-year-old Caucasian woman from Bedford, Massachusetts, tragically lost her life on Thursday, June 6, 2024. A longtime resident of the area, having formerly lived in Waltham, she was a beloved mother, grandmother, and partner. For 36 years, she was a respected employee of the Massachusetts Medical Society, working as a Web Content Production Specialist.
Those who knew her described her as happy and outgoing, someone who loved to laugh and spend time with her family and friends.
On that fateful morning, Thelma and her partner of 26 years, Mark Cavallaro, also 56, were with their 24-year-old daughter, Jessica Cavallaro. The couple had reportedly intended to take their daughter out for breakfast. They were all inside a car on Washington Street in Bedford when the situation turned deadly. Both Thelma and Mark were shot in what authorities have described as a horrific act of domestic violence.
Thelma was pronounced dead at the scene, still inside the vehicle. Mark Cavallaro was rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries but succumbed to them later that day. Following the shooting, their daughter Jessica allegedly went into a nearby home and told someone to call 911. Police arrived to find the tragic scene and recovered a handgun.
Jessica Cavallaro was arrested and has since been charged with two counts of murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and illegal possession of a firearm. She was arraigned in Concord District Court where a judge ordered her to be held without bail. A psychiatric evaluation was also ordered for the accused. The investigation into the motive behind the double homicide is ongoing.
