On the evening of January 23, 2022, a sense of disbelief and sorrow befell a neighborhood in Peabody, Massachusetts. Prince Thompson, a 25-year-old Black / African American male, was fatally shot at a residence on Wallis Street. The incident unfolded around 9:41 p.m., when Peabody Police responded to reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered Thompson suffering from a gunshot wound.
Emergency medical aid was administered at the scene before he was rushed to Salem Hospital, but tragically, he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the homicide commenced swiftly, led by the Essex District Attorney's office, the Peabody Police Department, and State Police detectives. Authorities began searching for a black 2006 Ford Fusion believed to be connected to the suspect, described as a white man in a ski mask and dark clothing. The investigation led them to Boston, where they apprehended 26-year-old Charles Burgess of Peabody. Burgess was taken into custody at his grandmother's home and was found in possession of a loaded gun magazine. He was subsequently charged with murder.
As the legal proceedings began, Burgess pleaded not guilty and was held without bail. The investigation continued, leading to the arrest of a second individual in connection with the case. Donald Frost, 31, of Merrimac, was charged with armed robbery, larceny, and accessory after the fact. Friends of Prince Thompson remembered him not for the violent way his life ended, but for the joy he brought to theirs. Born in the Bronx, New York, and raised in Peabody, he was remembered as a good man who was a high school graduate, a hard worker, and a fitness enthusiast with a love for sports. The investigation revealed that the shooting may have followed a loud argument that turned violent. After the shooting, it is believed the suspect and another masked man fled the scene in Thompson's car. Cocaine was also reportedly found at the location of the incident.
