Boston man arraigned on murder charge in 2022 Roxbury shooting death

BOSTON, March 24, 2023 – A Boston man is being held without bail after being arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court today for the April 11, 2022 shooting death of Bihlal Bell, 31, in Orchard Park in Roxbury, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

JAMES MORALE, 26, was indicted by a Grand Jury on Thursday and charged with murder and multiple firearm offenses. Morale was arrested later that day after officers stopped him for a motor vehicle infraction and discovered the outstanding murder warrant.

Clerk Magistrate Edward Curley ordered Morale held without bail. Morale will return to court on April 25.

At about 5:46 p.m. on Monday, April 11, 2022, Boston police responded to a person shot at 50 Orchard Park. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male, later identified as Bihlal Bell. Bell was transported to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.

Assistant District Attorney Sarah McEvoy said Morale followed Bell, who was a passenger in a separate vehicle. As they approached Orchard Park, Morale drove around the playground area, lowered his window, and began shooting at Bell. Bell had gotten out of his car and began running into the baseball field. Video surveillance shows that Morale and Bell were shooting simultaneously.

“I’m grateful to the Boston Police Department for their diligent work identifying and apprehending the individual accused of Mr. Bell’s murder. Once again, we are witnessing the tragic outcomes of too many illegal guns in our community and too many people seeking to buy them and willing to use them,” Hayden said.

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications