Crime & Safety

Chelsea Man Found Guilty of Murdering Peabody Mental Health Worker

Stephanie Moulton, 25, of Peabody, was stabbed to death by patient Deshawn Chappell in 2011 during a counseling session at the Revere clinic where she worked.

The man accused of killing mental health worker and Peabody resident Stephanie Moulton at the Revere clinic where he was a patient has been found guilty of first-degree murder.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury found Deshawn Chappell, 29, of Chelsea, guilty Monday of stabbing Moulton during a counseling session on Jan. 20, 2011 and then fleeing the group home with her body and dumping it behind a church in Lynn.

Chappell had a history of schizophrenic and violent behavior, but according to a wrongful death suit, Moulton was not aware of his patient history because the clinic didn't allow employees to conduct proper background checks.

The Boston Globe reports sentencing was also expected to take place Monday and Chappell faces a mandatory life sentence without parole. The trial finally began earlier this month after more than a year of delay.

Moulton was just 25 at the time of her death, engaged and a nursing student.

Following her death, Moulton's mother Kim Flynn has pushed for the state to increase required greater safety measures at mental health clinics to provide more protection for employees and avert future tragedies.


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