In the early morning hours of June 19, 2019, the life of Ellis J. Wright, a 48-year-old Black male from Lynn, Massachusetts, came to a tragic end. His body was discovered around 5:50 a.m. by a person jogging in a vacant lot adjacent to Manchester Street Park in Lawrence. Authorities found that he had been shot to death, and a gun was located near his body.
The initial discovery launched an immediate homicide investigation led by the Essex County District Attorney's Office.
Investigators followed a trail of blood that was scattered throughout the neighborhood, leading them several streets away from where the victim was found. While Mr. Wright was found on a Wednesday morning, investigators came to believe that the fatal shooting had actually occurred the day before.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect. On Thursday, just a day after the discovery, authorities arrested 22-year-old Niko Bianco of Amesbury. The arrest was made in Manchester, New Hampshire, by state troopers and Lawrence police detectives. Bianco was charged with the murder of Ellis J. Wright. Following his capture, he was scheduled for arraignment in New Hampshire as a fugitive from justice before being extradited to Massachusetts to face the murder charge in Lawrence District Court.
