In the early morning hours of October 10, 2017, the life of 28-year-old Fabio Tavares of New Bedford, Massachusetts, was tragically cut short in a burst of violence. What began as a night out with an acquaintance ended in a double homicide that would lead investigators on a multi-state manhunt for the killer. Tavares, a male, was in the passenger seat of a 2001 Honda Accord, driven by his friend, 27-year-old Stephen Bodden.
In the backseat sat Carmelo Kercado Jr., a man they had met up with at the Whiskey Lounge on Acushnet Avenue just hours earlier.
As the three men drove through the North End of New Bedford, an eruption of gunfire filled the car. Kercado, from his position in the backseat, opened fire on both Bodden and Tavares. The car, now without a driver in control, crashed into a parked vehicle on Central Avenue. Bodden was pronounced dead at the scene, having been shot multiple times, including three times in the head. Tavares was found clinging to life, still breathing amidst the carnage. He was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he succumbed to the five gunshot wounds he had sustained. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Kercado fled the scene on foot, disappearing into the night.
The investigation into the deaths of Fabio Tavares and Stephen Bodden quickly focused on Carmelo Kercado Jr. as the prime suspect. Authorities believe the motive for the killings stemmed from the unsolved murder of Marcus Roberts, a friend of Bodden's, two months prior. It is thought that Kercado was also responsible for Roberts' death and that he killed Bodden to silence him after Bodden had made social media posts vowing revenge for his friend's murder. Tavares, it appears, was tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time. A warrant was issued for Kercado's arrest, and he was placed on the Massachusetts State Police's Most Wanted list.
After a manhunt that lasted over two months, law enforcement tracked Kercado to Concord, North Carolina. He was taken into custody in late December 2017 and extradited back to Massachusetts to face charges for the murders of Tavares and Bodden. In June 2023, Carmelo Kercado Jr., a known gang member, was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and illegal firearm charges. For the execution-style slayings of Fabio Tavares and Stephen Bodden, he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole.
