South Boston man to be arraigned Wednesday for 1993 murder of BHA worker

BOSTON, March 28, 2023 – A man being held for a 1984 shooting death over a South Boston drug-dealing dispute will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court tomorrow on a new charge of murdering a Boston Housing Authority supervisor in South Boston in April 1993, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

MICHAEL LEWIS, 62, will be charged with murdering William Villani, 46, in Villani’s office at Two Sterling Square in South Boston.  Lewis worked for Villani at the Boston Housing Authority Pest Control Unit.

Villani went to his office on April 16 and his body was found the following day.  He had been beaten, stabbed and shot. 

Assistant District Attorney John Verner will release further details at tomorrow’s arraignment. 

Lewis will attend the arraignment via Zoom.

Lewis is being held without bail after being charged last May with murdering Brian Watson, 23, in July 1984 and dumping Watson’s body off a highway in New Hampshire.

“Investigators never stopped digging into the terrible circumstances around William Villani’s death, but their efforts were stymied until more recent information came to light.  This happens in cases sometimes, and there are two primary takeaways.  First, the Villani family will finally have some answers about William’s murder.  Second, other relatives and friends of unsolved murder victims should never give up hope, because, as this case proves, there’s always the chance that vital information will come forward,” 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