Family of Brockton homicide victim did not know he was gay

About 40 people turned out for a vigil outside the Brockton Trial Court complex Aug. 17 in response to the three domestic violence murders that took place in the city in the span of about a week, including the murder of 20-year-old Claudio Montrond, who was allegedly killed by his ex-boyfriend Laurence Bynum-Harris, also 20. The vigil, organized by Brockton Family and Community Resources, Inc., and Womensplace Crisis Center, also marked the murders of Rosa Andrade, who, according to press reports, was allegedly shot by her ex-boyfriend, and of Carlita Chaney, who was allegedly murdered by the father of her two children. Speakers at the vigil urged the community to mobilize to try to stop domestic violence, including domestic violence in same-sex relationships.

Kevin Galipeau, director of client services for the Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project (GMDVP), told the crowd that one of the tragedies of domestic violence is that people who know the victim often remain unaware of the problem.

"Domestic violence is a silent crime," said Galipeau. "It's only after horrendous acts like the murders of Carlita Chaney, Claudio Montrond and Rosa Andrade that we hear publicly about what is normally seen as a private matter. ... When no one talks about domestic violence the people being abused can feel that they are the only ones out there."

Authorities believe Bynum-Harris murdered Montrond in the early morning hours of Aug. 12 at a Commercial Street bus terminal parking garage. He was arraigned Aug. 13 and charged with one count murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon; Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Bridget Norton Middleton told Bay Windows that Bynum-Harris allegedly bludgeoned and stabbed Montrond to death using a hammer and a sculpting tool, both of which were found in Bynum-Harris's apartment.

Galipeau told the crowd at the vigil that one in four gay, bisexual and transgender men are victims of domestic violence, and he said their sexuality or gender identity can compound their feelings of isolation.

"Members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities are already separated from much of mainstream society. Being both gay and a survivor of domestic violence makes them all that more isolated," said Galipeau.

That seems to have been the case for Montrond. Moises Rodrigues, director of community services for Brockton Mayor James Harrington, told Bay Windows that Montrond's family did not know he was gay and were unaware of his relationship with Bynum-Harris. Rodrigues said his wife is a member of Montrond's extended family, and he spoke at the vigil on behalf of Harrington's office.

"I don't think they did [know about his relationship with Bynum-Harris] because I was talking to his sisters the other day and they said that he had a lot of friends but he was one of these guys who, you call him at 3 o'clock in the morning, you need somebody to pick you up at the police station, at the train station, whatever the situations were, he was willing to do that for them," Rodrigues told Bay Windows following the vigil. "So I don't think they knew about his private or personal life in a sense. None of us did."

Rodigues described Montrond as a "good kid" and said that as the eldest son in his family he worked hard to support his mother,

"This kid was actually a very good kid, a supporter of his mom who worked his butt off to help his family out because the father left. ... He was a very, very good kid, somebody who was family-oriented in a sense and did a lot for his own family and people. And it's kind of sad in a sense that those who work hard to do the right thing are taken from us at a very young age," said Rodrigues.

He said Montrond's family has had little chance to process the news about his sexuality and are focused on their grief.

"They're just so devastated that they lost the man of the family, because he was the oldest of the boys, and technically a provider to that family. That's what's really devastating to them," said Rodrigues.

Beyond Galipeau and Rodrigues, the vigil also featured speakers from the two sponsoring organizations and other domestic violence organizations and state agencies. Staff members from Brockton Family and Community Resources, Inc., read poetry by Maya Angelou, and singers from Teen Challenge New England opened and closed the event with Christian-themed songs.

Jass Stewart, an openly gay candidate for mayor, said he was heartened by the turnout at the vigil.

"It's disappointing to see that the violence is so present in our lives here in Brockton, but it's also exciting to see people stay optimistic and rally around the victims and rally for solutions," said Stewart.

Middleton said police connected Montrond's murder to Bynum-Harris after they found Montrond's cell phone while examining the body.

"The victim had a cell phone on him and the police dialed the last number called, and the defendant answered. The prosecutor indicated in court that the defendant agreed to meet the police at the police station, where he gave a videotaped statement to police. He also, through conversations, led the police to where the victim's pants, backpack and underwear were in the woods," said Middleton, referring to items that Bynum-Harris allegedly removed from Montrond's body after the murder.

Middleton confirmed that "there was information that [Montrond and Bynum-Harris] had a prior intimate relationship," but she declined to comment further on the details of their relationship.

Middleton declined to discuss the substance of Bynum-Harris's videotaped statement to police and declined to provide Bay Windows with a copy of the police report. Brockton Police did not respond to a request to comment and to provide a copy of the police report.

According to the Brockton Enterprise, Bynum-Harris told police that after a phone call the night of the murder. he and Montrond met at the parking garage. The Enterprise reports that Bynum-Harris told police that he hit Montrond over the head with the hammer and then stabbed him more than 20 times with the sculpting tool after the two had an argument.

Curt Rogers, executive director of GMDVP, said that Montrond's murder is the first gay male domestic violence murder that his organization is aware of this year. He said that GMDVP has tracked two other gay male domestic violence murders over the last two years, but he cautioned that it is likely others slipped under the radar. He said police may not write in their report about relationships between two men involved in a homicide, and the press may be similarly silent. He pointed out that the initial stories in the Enterprise about Montrond's murder did not describe the victim and Bynum-Harris as former lovers.

"If you think of how this crime was originally reported there was no mention of sexual orientation," said Rogers.

He declined to say whether or not GMDVP has had any contact with any of the parties involved in Montrond's murder, citing the organization's confidentiality rules.