Man Held Without Bail for Two Murders

BOSTON, Oct. 20, 2021 — The man charged with murdering 28-year-old Fatima Yasin and 42-year-old Jahaira DeAlto in Dorchester will continue to be held without bail following his arraignment today in Suffolk Superior Court, District Attorney Rachael Rollins said.

MARCUS CHAVIS, 35, was arraigned today on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty, stemming from the double homicide that took place in a Taft Street home. At the request of Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum, Chief of District Attorney Rollins’ Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, Judge Christine Roach ordered that Mr. Chavis continue to be held without bail during the pendency of the case.

Polumbaum told the court that on the morning of May 2, 2021, Mr. Chavis called a relative to say that something “hurt” and that the relative should come get his two children from the home where he, Ms. Yasin and the children resided after relocating to the area from New York.  They had moved into the home at the invitation of Ms. DeAlto, a well-known transgender rights activist who lived there.  Concerned, the relative began to drive to Massachusetts.

Approximately two hours later, Boston Police received a 911 call from a phone belonging to Ms. Yasin, but she was unable to speak.  The 911 operator called back and Mr. Chavis answered.  Between bouts of frantic hyperventilating, he was able to respond to questions and allegedly stated, “I stabbed my wife.” 

Responding officers located Mr. Chavis outside the home with fresh blood on him, and placed him in handcuffs.  Inside the home, officers encountered the couple’s two children, who pleaded for help for their mother.  Officers first located Ms. DeAlto in her bedroom, deceased from a knife wound to her neck.  Also in the bedroom was her small dog with a severe stab wound.

The children directed officers to a second bedroom, where their mother was unresponsive and suffering a knife wound to the neck.  She was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries.

The dog underwent surgery at Angell Animal Medical Center and survived.

Police recovered a bloodstained kitchen knife at the scene.

Mr. Chavis was previously arraigned in the Dorchester Division of Boston Municipal Court following his arrest.  A Suffolk County grand jury returned indictments against him on September 14, 2021.  Today’s arraignment on those indictments moves the case from the municipal court to the court of proper jurisdiction, where it will be adjudicated.

“The lives of two women have been violently stolen, the lives of two innocent children forever altered, and the families and communities they belonged to are left to pick up the pieces.  My office is available to the loved ones of Ms. Yasin and Ms. DeAlto and to those impacted by their murders as they take steps toward healing from this unspeakable trauma and violence,” District Attorney Rollins said.

“Ms. DeAlto’s murder has shaken the entire LGBTQ+ community and supporters who had the opportunity to behold the incredible light she brought to the world. As an advocate for transgender rights and victims of domestic violence, she was a leader whose loss is felt across communities,” District Attorney Rollins continued.

The victims of any crime, including domestic violence, should call 911 in an emergency. SafeLink, a statewide domestic violence hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24 hours a day in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601. It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages.

Help is also available for members of our LGTBQ+ community experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence through The Network/La Red by calling 617-742-4911 or 800-832-1901.  Transgender individuals living in Massachusetts who are in immediate need of critical financial assistance can apply for assistance from the Transgender Emergency Fund at https://transemergencyfund.org/.

ADA Polumbaum and ADA Luke Goldworm, Chief of District Attorney Rollins’ Crime Strategies Bureau, are prosecuting the case. Anne Kelley-McCarthy is the assigned Victim Witness Advocate.  Mr. Chavis is represented by David Leon.  The case returns to court November 30, 2021.

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

Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles some 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.