Who are Kelly Shaw and John Harper? - Two Charged in Death of Christine Ruth Mello of Weymouth, Ma

Kelly Shaw of Quincy, Ma and John ‘Jack’ Harper have been charged with financial crimes in connection to the homicide of Weymouth woman Christine Ruth Mello.

Mello was reported missing until her body was found in her apartment Monday in an ‘apparent homicide’.

Police are now charging Shaw, who was Mello’s roomate, and Harper with larceny valued over $1,200 and uttering forged checks, among other offenses.

At this moment, no charges of homicide are being brought against the suspects yet.

Christine Ruth Mello found dead in home she shared with Kelly Shaw of Quincy Ma

Weymouth woman Christine Ruth Mello, 56, was recently reported missing, only for her remains to be found by Weymouth police and Massachusetts State Police in her home at 34 Lake St. on Monday.

Investigators think she may have been dead for “a number of days.”

The office of the Chief Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy Tuesday morning whose results are being witheld.

The death is being investigated as an apparent homicide by Weymouth police and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office.

On Thursday, Kelly Shaw, 44, who had been living with Christine Mello, as well as John ‘Jack’ Harper, were charged in connection to her death.

kelly shaw quincy ma and john jack harper — Kelly Shaw and John ‘Jack’ Harper

The duo are accused of stealing, issuing forged checks and more.

A statement from the Weymouth Police Department read: “Weymouth and Massachusetts State Police investigating the apparent homicide of Christine Mello have developed probable cause to charge Mello’s housemate and an associate of the housemate with financial crimes discovered in the course of the ongoing investigation, according to Chief Richard Fuller and Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey.

“There are no homicide charges in place at this time as the investigation continues,” District Attorney Morrissey said.

“But we anticipate arraignments on those charges at or after 2 p.m in the Quincy District Court.”

Kelly Shaw, age 44, who had been staying with Mello, and Shaw’s associate John “Jack” Harper, 45, without permanent address, are expected to be arraigned on charges including Larceny valued over $1,200, uttering forged checks, and other offenses.

Additional detail on these matters may be part of the court presentation.

Neighbors said the deceased, Christine Mello, was a delight in the neighborhood.

“She was great,” said next-door neighbor Anthony Arredondo. “Extremely friendly with all of us neighbors.”

Arredondo said the last time he saw Mello was late February. He sent her a text about 10 days ago.

“She apparently responded, but we don’t know if it was her,” he said. “The texts were wonky, they didn’t look right, it was weird — not how she’d respond.”

“Just a sad situation to happen in the neighborhood,” said neighbor Ward Martin. “You don’t think it’s going to happen right next door to you.”

“It’s a little unsettling,” said neighbor Bob Murphy. “So locking the doors a little tighter, make sure the kids are in the house.”

Related – Sheron Towers murder

Christine Ruth Mello’s disappearance and arrest of her roomate Kelly Shaw and associate John Harper comes on the heels of a recent similar tragic homicide.

Sheron Trowers, a 56-year-old woman returning from a trip abroad was fatally shot in the driveway of a Brockton, Massachusetts, home early Tuesday morning.

Trowers worked for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health at a group home, according to her family.

Her partner, 61-year-old Carlos Brown, was a painter and a marine veteran.

Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said Trowers was returning from a trip to Jamaica when she was shot and killed in an apparent ambush by 61-year-old Carlos Brown, who then turned the gun on himself.

Trowers and Brown were in a relationship with a history of domestic violence, Cruz confirmed.

“It appears she was ambushed,” Cruz said.

Brockton police received two 911 calls reporting the shooting around 1 a.m. Monday, Cruz said.

The first call came from inside the Ash Street home reporting an unresponsive man. The second came from a neighbor who heard gunshots.

When police arrived, they found Trowers with multiple gunshot wounds in the driveway.

She was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital and pronounced dead, Cruz said.

Meanwhile, Carlos Brown was found with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in the living room.

Cruz confirmed Towers and Brown were in a relationship but did not say if they were married. She also refused to give details about their alleged domestic violence history.

FULL STORY: Who was Sheron Trowers, Brockton Ma Woman Killed by Carlos Brown?

Weymouth

Weymouth is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States.

It is one of 13 municipalities in the state to have city forms of government while retaining “town of” in their official names.

It is named after Weymouth, Dorset, a coastal town in England, and is the second-oldest settlement in Massachusetts, second only to Plymouth.

It is one of the South Shore’s more affordable towns and offers a short commute into Boston, MBTA bus and rail service, and a town beach.

At the 2020 census, Weymouth had a total population of 57,437.

It also had a crime rate of 12.42 per 1,000 residents.

As of the 2010 census, there were 53,743 people, 22,435 households, and 13,595 families residing in the city.

The racial makeup of the city was 82.7% White, 5.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 5.7% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population.

The median income for a household in the city was $68,665, and the median income for a family was $52,083. Males had a median income of $42,497 versus $35,963 for females.

The per capita income for was $24,976. About 9.1% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

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