(VIDEO AND STORY) LAWRENCE BEHEADING – Mayor Pummeled by Reporters for Holding Press Conference with Nothing to Say

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UPDATE: 3PM-12-2-16
The District Attorney released the name of the decapitated victim as Viloria Paulino the 16 year old who has been missing since Friday. 

VIDEO OF PRESS CONFERENCE

(12-2-16|12PM) Lawrence Police Chief Fitzpatrick and Mayor Dan Rivera held a press conference today regarding the brutal beheading of a man in his late teens, early twenties on Thursday, but had nothing new to say about the case, angering the two dozen local and Boston reporters assembled in the cold for the presser. 

Police Chief Fitzpatrick said that the people of Lawrence are safe and are not at risk as the result of the beheading.

District Attorney  Jon Blodget’s office boycotted the press conference, issuing his own press release saying that his office alone will release information as it becomes available and called it an “isolated incident.” 

“There are details, that if released or discussed, will only serve to undermine the investigation and cause a bad result in the end,” Mayor Rivera told the press. 

“I would hate to come before you in three weeks and tell you the suspects  evaded police or could not be brought to justice because I, or someone else who was well meaning, gave out information that hurt the case.” TEXT OF FULL STATEMENT

epsteinfinalonline“Then why are we here?” asked Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan. 

The Valley Patriot has confirmed that the body was not only headless but that the hands of the victim were also cut off. Something that the mayor refused to confirm or deny. Valley Patriot sources in the police department also say that the hands have not been recovered. 

State Police are conducting a second search of the banks of the Merrimack River Friday afternoon. 

Valley Patriot reporter Maria Fiato asked the mayor if they cannot identify the body, why the family of the missing teen was at the crime scene late last night. 

“We cant’ control of what the victim’s family does,” Rivera replied.

Several reporters continued to  press Rivera why he was holding a press conference when he really had nothing new to say, Rivera did not add anything new. The Mayor did say he was calling on “the DA, the State Police and even the Governor to get the identification of the body expedited. Every available resource of the Medical Examiner’s Office should be put on this to identify this body.”

Rivera called on the DA to hold a press conference on the case citing that residents are “worried that rumors and innuendo are causing greater concern for their safety. You can help belay those fears.”

He also urged the DA to come to the scene, which he has apparently not done as of yet.

The mayor also said that people should not believe what they read on Twitter or Facebook and that if the information isn’t coming directly from the DA’s office it should not be believed. 

Jorge Quiroga from Channel 5 asked if there was any gang activity in Lawrence by the illegal alien drug gang MS-13 who is notorious for beheading victims. Rivera would not answer the question and would not let the chief answer it either. 

Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan asked the mayor about transparency.

“Mayor, given that you campaigned on transparency, yet for the last 24 hours people have been speculating that it could be terrorism, Al Quaida, ISIS, and there has been no assurance by your office or the Police Department except for a really pathetic press release that came out and said nothing yesterday, how do you address that? You say not to listen to people on Twitter and Facebook, but when you are giving zero information, who are they supposed to listen to?” 

“Unfortunately the driver here is identifying the body. So, I will upset you in the press  to the extent that we have to so that we can get a good case.” 

Several reporters asked  the mayor how he can say the people of Lawrence are safe when there is someone out there decapitating people in his city, he had no answer.