In the early evening of May 12, 2015, Roy Rivera, a 24-year-old Hispanic male from Fitchburg, Massachusetts, was fatally shot. The incident unfolded on Milk Street, near the intersection with Allston Place. First responders found Rivera slumped over the steering wheel of his car and administered CPR at the scene. He was then transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead from an apparent gunshot wound.
Investigators quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence, believing it to be connected to an illegal drug transaction.
The investigation, a joint effort by State Police Detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney's Office and the Fitchburg Police, led them to a suspect. Roughly a week after the shooting, on May 19, 2015, authorities arrested 28-year-old Andrew Mathieu of Leominster. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with murder and carrying an unlicensed firearm.
Further details emerged during legal proceedings, revealing a grim narrative of the events that transpired. Prosecutors stated that Mathieu, accompanied by his girlfriend and their 7-year-old child, had driven to Fitchburg to purchase heroin. An argument erupted between Mathieu and Rivera, escalating to the point where Rivera allegedly struck Mathieu in the head with a bottle. In response, Mathieu shot Rivera. Following the shooting, Rivera managed to drive a few blocks before succumbing to his injuries. In addition to the murder charge, Mathieu also faced a child endangerment charge as his son was in the car at the time of the shooting.
In October 2016, Andrew Mathieu, then 29, accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to serve 17 to 19 years in prison for the death of Roy Rivera. Three other individuals faced accessory charges in connection with the case, while a fourth was charged with firearms offenses and receiving stolen property.
