On February 7, 2005, a tragic incident occurred in Leominster, Massachusetts, resulting in the death of 29-year-old Ryan F. Curtis. Curtis was shot and killed at his home, which he shared with his live-in boyfriend, Stephen M. CampoBasso, a prominent lawyer in the area.
Stephen M. CampoBasso, 53, was identified as the suspect in the shooting.
He was a well-known figure in the community, hosting an election night cable access program and actively involved with the Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association, where he represented gay men in civil rights cases. CampoBasso's family was also deeply rooted in the community; his brother Peter served as the assistant city solicitor in Leominster and was a city councilor, while another brother, Vincent, also practiced law in the city. One of his sisters hosted a cooking program on cable access television.
Following the shooting, a daylong manhunt was initiated to locate CampoBasso. The search led police to the woods off Route 140 in Princeton, where CampoBasso's empty Jeep was found with its engine still running. A state police helicopter was deployed and located CampoBasso's body about 90 minutes later. He had shot himself once in the head, and the weapon was found at the scene.
Ryan F. Curtis, the victim, had moved in with CampoBasso the previous summer, and the two had plans to marry the following fall. Curtis was described by friends and colleagues as a kind and compassionate person. He had worked for about three years selling advertising for Worcester Magazine and later studied nursing, working as a patient care assistant at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. His coworkers remembered him for bringing joy, humor, and compassion to the workplace.
The incident shocked the community, with Leominster Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella expressing deep sympathy for both families involved. Paul Giorgio, former president of Worcester Publishing, praised Curtis as 'a great, great person' who had a significant impact on those around him.
In this case, there were no arrests made subsequent to the initial incident, as the suspect, Stephen M. CampoBasso, took his own life before he could be apprehended. The case was thus resolved with the discovery of CampoBasso's body, ending the manhunt and providing a tragic conclusion to the events that unfolded on February 7, 2005.
