On a cold December evening in 2017, a young Black man named Duncan Ketter, age 19, lost his life on the streets of East Boston. His death on December 10th was not a random act of violence, but the tragic outcome of a drug deal that spiraled into a fatal robbery. Ketter, who was in a vehicle with a female friend to allegedly sell marijuana, was ambushed in what prosecutors described as a planned heist.
The events unfolded when a 16-year-old acquaintance arranged to buy marijuana from
Ketter's friend. Unbeknownst to them, another individual, Thorus O'Brien, 18, was concealed in the back of the vehicle. As the car was in motion, O'Brien reportedly emerged with a firearm, demanding the marijuana. When he was met with resistance, O'Brien allegedly shot Ketter. Following the shooting, both Ketter and his female friend were pushed out of the moving vehicle onto the pavement at the corner of Orleans and Marginal Streets.
The investigation into Ketter's death led to the swift apprehension of multiple suspects. The day after the shooting, Thorus O'Brien of Brockton was arrested and charged with murder, armed robbery, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm. Soon after, a 16-year-old was taken into custody and charged with delinquency, to wit, armed robbery and armed assault with intent to rob.
The circle of suspects widened as the investigation progressed. Demetrius Cast, 20, of Everett, was the third person to be arrested, facing charges of armed robbery and other offenses. A fourth suspect, Elijah Charles, 18, also from Brockton, was later arraigned on charges of armed robbery and armed assault with intent to rob. All four individuals were brought into the justice system to answer for their alleged roles in the violent death of Duncan Ketter.
