On an autumn evening in Springfield, Massachusetts, the life of 27-year-old David Pichardo was tragically cut short. On October 19, 2017, the young man was simply going about a routine chore, doing his laundry at the LaundroMax on Boston Road, when he was fatally shot. Responding officers discovered Pichardo at the rear of the establishment, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to Baystate Medical Center, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The male victim’s sudden and violent death sent ripples of fear and grief through the community, leaving his family to grapple with an unimaginable loss.
The investigation into Pichardo's murder would uncover a sinister connection to a string of other violent crimes. The man responsible for his death was identified as Calvin Roberson, a resident of Waterbury, Connecticut. It was revealed that Roberson's violent acts extended beyond this single incident, painting a picture of a serial offender. Tragically, David Pichardo was not the only member of his family to fall victim to Roberson. Almost exactly a year prior, on October 11, 2016, David's brother, 28-year-old Yonaides Pichardo, was also murdered by Roberson, found shot in his car on Sycamore Street in Springfield.
Years after these devastating losses, a measure of justice was served. On April 18, 2023, Calvin Roberson pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter. His plea encompassed the deaths of both David and Yonaides Pichardo, as well as the 2006 killing of a woman named Loan Nguyen during a nail salon robbery. Roberson, who was already in federal custody since February 2021 for the kidnapping and murder of another man, finally admitted to his role in the deaths that had haunted the Pichardo family and the city of Springfield for years. His guilty plea brought a long-awaited, albeit somber, conclusion to a painful chapter for the victims' loved ones.
