Massachusetts Man Convicted of Killing Seven Coworkers

April 25, 2002
It took Michael McDermott approximately 10 minutes to kill seven coworkers at Edgewater Technologies Inc. in Wakefield, Mass.,\r\non Dec. 26, 2000. A jury took three days to pronounce him guilty of first-degree murder yesterday.

It took Michael McDermott approximately 10 minutes to kill seven coworkers at Edgewater Technologies Inc. in Wakefield, Mass., on Dec. 26, 2000. It took a jury much longer to pronounce him guilty of seven counts of first-degree murder yesterday.

Witnesses say that Michael McDermott walked into the reception area of Edgewater Technologies around 11 a.m. on Dec. 26, 2000, and killed two coworkers who were standing there. He then moved to several offices, where he shot and killed five more coworkers.

During his trial, McDermott claimed that he thought the coworkers were Adolph Hitler and some of his officers, and that by killing them, he was preventing the Holocaust.

Middlesex County District Attorney Martha Coakley speculated at the time of the shootings that the rampage was triggered by McDermott''s alleged unpaid back taxes. The Internal Revenue Service contacted Edgewater Technologies for help in collecting McDermott''s back taxes. The IRS was "taking a percentage but not all" of McDermott''s pay, said Coakley.

McDermott was angry about the garnishment, said some coworkers, who reported overhearing an angry outburst from him in the company''s accounting offices the week before the shooting. Police indicated the shootings were not random, since McDermott moved from one section of the building to another, bypassing several other coworkers along the way.

McDermott killed human resources vice president Cheryl Troy; office manager Janice Hagerty; Louis Javelle, a director of consulting; Jennifer Bragg Capobianco of the marketing department; Craig Wood, human resources; technician Paul Marceau; and payroll worker Rose Manfredi.

Police found McDermott, who was armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, a semiautomatic handgun and a shotgun, sitting in the lobby of the building near the bodies of two of his victims.

During the trial, prosecutors pointed out that McDermott appeared to have planned the killings. He test-fired his shotgun two days before the shootings and hide the guns at work on Christmas, when no one was in the office. He also walked past several coworkers, allowing them to live, while he hunted others.

Jurors apparently agreed with the prosecutors'' version of events, taking 16 hours over three days to convict McDermott. Since Massachusetts does not have a death penalty, McDermott will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Angry relatives of the victims applauded the verdict and shouted, "die in there" and "goodbye" as McDermott was led from the courtroom.

by Sandy Smith ([email protected])

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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