Roxbury Man, 71, Held without Bail in Domestic Violence Homicide

Tanya Malone, 58, pronounced dead at apartment the couple shared

 BOSTON, December 10, 2020 – A Roxbury man arrested for the murder of his girlfriend Tuesday evening was ordered held without bail at his arraignment in the Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court yesterday.

Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum had requested no bail for ALAN WASHINGTON, 71, and Judge Kenneth Fiandaca ruled as such without objection from defense counsel.

According to investigators, Mr. Washington told detectives after receiving his Miranda warning that he was upset with Tanya Malone, 58, because he claimed she had stolen from him and called him a liar. He said he pushed Ms. Malone to the floor and struck her in the head with a wooden furniture dolly.

When Washington saw that his girlfriend was not moving, he went next door to tell a neighbor what he had done. Police and EMTs were summoned and Ms. Malone was pronounced dead at the scene with visible head trauma.  An autopsy will officially determine the cause of death.

“Domestic violence is such a deep betrayal and can happen to anyone,’’ said District Attorney Rachael Rollins. “The people we love and who allegedly love us back are not supposed to harm us.  And violence against women, which can also be domestic, is a significant problem.

“As District Attorney I have sat in courtrooms with the loved ones of Vanessa Masucci and Dora Chaves, who were brutally murdered in their own homes. Vanessa’s husband is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole and Dora’s husband is currently awaiting trial.  Each of these women were loving mothers, and their children were present when they were killed.  I have personally visited the family of Jassy Correia, a young woman out celebrating her birthday who was kidnapped from a Boston street after leaving a nightclub and found dead in the trunk of a car in Delaware. Louis D. Coleman III, was driving that car and currently faces federal charges in connection with her kidnapping and death.  These are but a few of the lives stolen since I took office.

Domestic violence is not always perpetrated by men against women, nor is it exclusive to romantic relationships.  I have spoken to the family of Alexander Urtula, a young man and gifted student at Boston College. The morning of his graduation he jumped to his death from the top of a garage. Later we learned he had endured unrelenting bouts of physical, verbal and psychological abuse from his girlfriend, Inyoung You, leading up to his death.  She has since been charged with involuntary manslaughter.  Last year, on Christmas day, Erin Pascal threw her two children Allison (4 years old) and Andrew (16 months old) off of a garage then leapt to her own death. That double homicide and suicide happened at the same location where Alexander took his own life.  The same garage. I demanded that Northeastern University immediately implement safety precautions at their garage and they did so.  I also spoke out about the importance of mental health treatment and assistance.

“Although the victims of these crimes are often women or non-binary individuals, to view domestic and gender-based violence as a women’s or trans issue is wrong.  Men in our communities must take a stand against the epidemic of sexual and domestic violence.  This is a problem that men need to take responsibility for – in their own lives, in their sons’ lives, and in their social lives with friends and colleagues. 

“I ask that, as we enter this holiday season we focus on self-care. I ask we each resolve to stand against all domestic and gender-based violence through our words, through our actions, and through a commitment to encouraging and modeling healthy relationships. Finally, in this global pandemic, I ask that we offer each other more kindness. 

“Although we cannot physically be together, we can check on each other.  And if you are suffering or hurting, please seek help when or if you need it. For victims and survivors, know that my office will work to support and protect you. While the victims of any crime are asked to call 911 in an emergency, there are specialized services available to survivors of sexual and domestic violence.’’

ADA Polumbaum, Chief of DA Rollins’ Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault unit, is representing the Commonwealth. Elise McConnell is the Victim Witness Advocate. Washington was represented by Attorney Joseph Perullo. Washington will return to court on Jan. 15, 2021.

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.

Survivors of sexual assault can call their local rape crisis center for free and confidential services and to discuss their options. Support is available for all survivors of sexual violence, regardless of whether they wish to take part in a criminal prosecution. Services by city and town can be found at www.janedoe.org/find_help/search. 

In Suffolk County, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center offers a free and confidential 24-hour hotline at 800-841-8371. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center provides medical accompaniment and many other free services to victims of rape and sexual assault. Suffolk victim-witness advocates can assist in referrals to BARCC and a wide array of non-profit service providers who can offer additional support and services.

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 25,000 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.