2 suspects,Lara Corey,22 & James Howze,19,held in connection w/missing Joseph Webster, a borderline autistic man who was reported missing on 3/14. Update:Body found in Providence positively ID'd to be Joseph.Update: Corey & Howze have been indicted!

By Jeff Malachowski/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News
Posted Mar 24, 2012 @ 12:00 AM

NORTHBOROUGH —
The two people arrested in Colonie, N.Y. on Wednesday in connection with the disappearance of a Worcester teenager have been ordered held without bail on fugitive from justice warrants.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Lara Corey, 22, and James Howze, 19, were arraigned in Colonie Town Court on Thursday. Colonie Police Lt. Robert Winn said the pair was scheduled to begin the extradition process to Massachusetts yesterday.

Worcester District Attorney spokesman Tim Connolly said the suspects were not on their way back to Massachusetts as of yesterday afternoon and was unsure when they would return. A spokesman for the Albany County District Attorney’s office could not be reached for comment.

Howze, of 37 Harvard Ave., Providence, R.I., faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (knife) and theft of a motor vehicle in Massachusetts in connection with the disappearance of 19-year-old Joseph Webster, a borderline autistic man who was reported missing on March 14. Webster has not been found, said Connolly.

Corey, of Wilson Street, Providence, R.I., will be charged with theft of a motor vehicle in Massachusetts. The Worcester District Attorney’s office had initially listed Corey as a resident of 27 Boston Turnpike Road, Westborough, however, that address does not exist, said Westborough Police Chief Alan Gordon.

Police in Colonie arrested Corey and Howze at a motel.

The pair was with Webster at the Motel 6 on Rte. 9 in Northborough before he disappeared, Connolly said. Police searched room 214 early this week and evidence was seized, he said.

Himanshu Patel, a clerk at the Motel 6, said Corey frequented the motel, but did not cause any problems. Corey would stay at the motel for five or six days at a time and would be seen arriving and leaving in a taxi.

“She was seen frequently,” said Patel. “Many times she’d stay here. She’d come and go, come and go. She is very nice with us. There were no problems at all.”

Corey received a civil infraction for possession of marijuana in Westborough last April, said Gordon.

Connolly yesterday had no further information on whether the stolen vehicle referred to in the charge is Webster’s or whether the vehicle was found with the suspects when they were arrested. Authorities in Providence were looking for Webster earlier this week. According to an article on WPRI.com, Webster was last seen near Comstock Avenue driving a silver 2003 Cadillac Seville with Massachusetts license plates.

Family members Thursday said it is difficult to imagine Webster, who suffered from Type 1 diabetes, could survive nearly 10 days without his insulin. Webster required injections of insulin every four or five hours and only had a 24-hour supply when he was last seen.

On Thursday, Webster’s uncle, Gerardo Sali, said Webster was very trusting, lived with his mother all his life and never slept anywhere but his own bed, which prompted family members to call police when he did not return home March 14.

Read more: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Arrests in New York may be linked to missing Worcester teen
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Joseph P. Webster

By Brad Petrishen/Daily News staff
MetroWest Daily News
Posted Mar 23, 2012 @ 01:50 AM
Last update Mar 23, 2012 @ 11:38 AM

NORTHBOROUGH —
Police in New York have made two arrests in connection with the March 14 disappearance of a Worcester teenager that this week led them to a motel room on Rte. 9 they have declared a crime scene.

While the details of what happened at the Motel 6 haven’t fully emerged, a family member said yesterday it’s hard to imagine that 19-year old Joseph P. Webster — a borderline autistic man who suffered from Type 1 diabetes — could have survived this long without his insulin.

Webster, of 104 Brattle St., Worcester, was reported missing by his family on March 14, Worcester District Attorney spokesman Timothy J. Connolly said yesterday. He has not been found.

Northborough police called in state police earlier this week to assist with an investigation at the motel that began Monday night and continued most of the day Tuesday.

Wednesday night, as state police were on their way to upstate New York to find the two suspects, police in Colonie, N.Y. arrested a man and a woman at a hotel whom police believe had a role in Webster’s disappearance.

James Howze, 19, of 37 Harvard Ave., Providence, R.I., will be charged in Massachusetts with assault and battery with a deadly weapon (knife) and theft of a vehicle. Lara Corey, 22, of 27 Boston Turnpike, Westborough, will be charged with theft of a vehicle.

Connolly said the two suspects and Webster were together at the Motel 6 before the teen’s disappearance. Police searched room 214 of the motel and “evidence was seized,” he said.

Connolly said he could not comment on what kind of evidence was found or whether blood had been discovered. He couldn’t say how Webster knew the suspects.

Webster’s uncle, Gerardo Sarli, who owns Gerardo’s Bakery in West Boylston, said he did not know the pair before his nephew’s disappearance.

“He really was a great kid,” Sarli said of Webster.

Sarli said his nephew’s diabetes requires injections of insulin every four or five hours. He said Webster is borderline autistic, with the maturity of a 14 or 15-year-old child.

“He was believing in everybody and trusting in everybody, and thinking they were good,” said Sarli.

Sarli said his sister, Amalia Webster, poured her heart into her care for her son every day since he was diagnosed with diabetes 11 years ago.

“The doctors told her that kids with diabetes can live a long time nowadays,” Sarli said. “She took that into her hands and said, ‘You know what, my son’s going to live forever,’” he said, because of the care she would give him.

Sarli said Webster has lived with his mother all his life, and never slept anywhere but his own bed, prompting his mother to call police when he did not return home.
Sarli said his sister and their entire close-knit family is devastated, and particularly worried because Webster typically carries only a 24-hour supply of insulin with him.

“We know in our own heart he is (gone),” Sarli said. “We’re just waiting to hear.

“The worst thing in the world is to have someone that young go before we go,” he added. “For someone to take a life like that, the (expletives). It’s just devastating knowing the poor kid had no chance that day.”

Sarli thanked Northborough and state police for their roles in the arrests.

“They said they’ve got substantial evidence,” he said. “The main thing is bringing him home.”

Authorities in Providence were looking for the man earlier this week. According to an article published Monday on WPRI.com, Webster was last seen in the area of Comstock Avenue driving a 2003 silver Cadillac Seville with Massachusetts license plates.

Police told WPRI Webster is 5-feet-9-inches tall, about 170 pounds and light-skinned with short, dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing jeans, a white zipper hoodie with black sneakers and a cross gold chain, the station reported.

Connolly said as far as authorities are concerned Webster is still missing. He said details of the search could not be disclosed since it is ongoing.

Connolly said his office is currently working on getting Howze and Corey back to Massachusetts for arraignment in Westborough District Court.

If they waive their rights to rendition, they could be back in the state soon, Connolly said, but if they do not it will take a warrant from the governor to bring them in, which takes longer.

Connolly said he couldn’t comment on whether the stolen vehicle was Webster’s and whether it was found with the suspects when they were arrested.

Read more: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Uncle of missing Worcester 19-year-old fears he is dead

By Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER — The uncle of a 19-year-old missing from Worcester for more than two weeks said today he believes his nephew is dead.

Gerardo Sarli said his nephew, Joseph Webster, who has a mild form of autism as well as diabetes, believes he was taken advantage of because of his kind nature. Lara Cori, 22, and her boyfriend, James Howze, 19, are charged in connection with his disappearance.

Mr. Sarli said, “He was trusting. Because of his autism … he did not think there were any bad people in the world.”

Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said today that an indictment against Ms. Cori, who also uses the name Lara Corey, was handed up late yesterday.

When she is brought back to Massachusetts, she will be arraigned in Worcester Superior Court on charges of armed assault with intent to murder, armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and larceny of a motor vehicle.

She and Mr. Howze, of 37 Harvard Ave., Providence, are being held in Albany County, N.Y., after being arrested by police in Colonie, N.Y., on March 21, and charged with being fugitives from justice.

Massachusetts State Police had filed charges of larceny of a motor vehicle against the two. Mr. Howze is also facing charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a knife.)

Ms. Cori, of 27 Boston Turnpike, Westboro, and Mr. Howze are believed to be the last people who were with Mr. Webster, whose family reported him missing March 14. Relatives have said he did not have enough insulin, needed to control his diabetes, with him to be away for very long. Mr. Sarli said his nephew requires insulin shots every four hours and could die without them. Family members said Mr. Webster rarely went away overnight, and Mr. Sarli does not believe his nephew is alive. He hopes one of the suspects will lead police to Mr. Webster's body.

“That's all we want right now. We want to bring him home and give him a decent burial,” he said.

Police investigating Mr. Webster's disappearance were at Motel 6 in Northboro on March 20. Ms. Cori had rented a room there and left abruptly on March 13 without paying for her final night.

The Telegram & Gazette has learned that Ms. Cori's cellphone number is listed in a personal advertisement for a woman using the name Mercedes and offering $60 escort services, parties and overnights on Route 9 in Westboro. The ad shows a scantily clad woman who resembles Ms. Cori.

A worker at the motel said Ms. Cori had spent a few days on her most recent visit and had been at the motel before. A cashier at a nearby store said on March 21 that she recognized Ms. Cori as a customer, though she had not been in for a while.

Police later scoured the room where she stayed for clues, cutting up pieces of carpet and collecting other evidence outside the motel, the desk clerk at Motel 6 said last week. He said the room was unusable.

Mr. Howze was also believed to have been at the motel. A security camera at the motel captured an image of Mr. Howze entering the motel on March 10 carrying a McDonald's bag.

Mr. Webster had not been found as of tonight. There were reports that his silver 2003 Cadillac Seville was seen in Providence on March 15, though it has not been found. The Massachusetts license plate is 58JZ91 and the car has tinted windows and lights, family members said. They are hoping someone will see the car and alert police.

Both Mr. Howze and Ms. Corey waived their rights to contest rendition and agreed at their arraignment in New York last week to be returned to Massachusetts to face the charges. A police spokesman in New York said they must be picked up by Massachusetts officials before April 6 or they will have to appear in court again. It is unclear when they will be brought back to Massachusetts.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Suspects in disappearance due in court Monday
Family offers reward

By Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER — Two people will be arraigned Monday on charges related to the case of a missing Worcester man whose family is offering a $1,000 reward for information that might help them find Joseph Webster, 19.

James Howze, 19, of 37 Harvard Ave., Providence, and Lara Cori, 22, of 27 Boston Turnpike, Westboro, are being returned to Massachusetts from New York where they were apprehended last week by police in Colonie. They have been held without right to bail after being arraigned in Albany County on fugitive from justice charges.

Mr. Howze will be arraigned Monday in Westboro District Court on charges of assault and battery with a deadly weapon, a knife and larceny of a motor vehicle.

Ms. Cori, who also uses the alias Lara Corey, was indicted by a Worcester County grand jury this week and will be arraigned in Worcester Superior Court Monday on charges of armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, larceny of motor vehicle and armed assault to murder.

The pair is believed to have been at the Motel 6, Route 9 in Northboro, with Mr. Webster around the time he disappeared. He was reported missing by his family March 14. He has not been found, and his car, a 2003 Cadillac Seville, is also missing and may have been last seen in Providence around that same time.

Gerardo Sarli, Mr. Webster's uncle, said he believes his nephew is dead. He said his large family is trying to cope but it is very difficult not knowing where Mr. Webster is. He said he has put up the $1,000 reward and will pay it to anyone who provides information that helps the family find his nephew.

Mr. Webster is a diabetic who requires insulin injections every four hours and family members said he did not have enough insulin to sustain himself for very long when he disappeared. He also has a mild form of autism, which makes him act younger than his 19 years.

Mr. Sarli said Mr. Webster's autism may have allowed someone to take advantage of him because he was a kind person who might have tried to help those in need.

Members of Mr. Webster's family plan to attend the arraignments Monday and hope to learn during the court proceedings more about what may have happened to him. They are steeling themselves knowing that the news may be difficult to hear.

“We know we are definitely going to get bad news,” Mr. Sarli said.

The family hopes the $1,000 reward will prompt someone to call police with information that leads them to Mr. Webster.

“At this point we just want to find my nephew,” Mr. Sarli said. “We just want to find him and bring him home.”

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

2 in court in missing Mass. teen case
Associated Press

WORCESTER — Two people are heading to court to face charges in connection with the disappearance of an autistic Worcester teenager.

Prosecutors say 19-year-old James Howze of Providence, R.I. is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Westborough District Court on assault and battery with a knife and car theft charges.

Twenty-two-year-old Lara Cori of Westborough — who sometimes spells her name Corey — is expected to be arraigned Monday in Worcester Superior Court on assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, armed robbery, armed assault with intent to murder and car theft charges.

The missing man, 19-year-old Joseph Webster, was reported missing March 14.

Investigators say Webster and the suspects had been at a motel in Northborough together.

Webster's family says he is mildly autistic and requires daily insulin for diabetes.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

By Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

• Police: Suspect tried to sell car of missing Worcester man
WORCESTER — A body discovered in Providence around noon today is believed to be missing Worcester man Joseph Webster.

A spokesman for Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., said in a press release that Rhode Island State Police using a trained dog found the body inside a storage container on Wesleyan Avenue, not far from the apartment shared by two suspects in the disappearance: Lara Corey, 22, and James Howze, 19, of 37 Harvard Ave.

Timothy Connolly, spokesman for Mr. Early, said an autopsy will be done by the Rhode Island chief medical examiner to make a positive identification. Mr. Webster's family was told of the discovery this afternoon.

The body was found after Providence police received a tip from police in Cranston that a body might be at 101 Wesleyan Ave. Providence and Cranston police, along with Rhode Island troopers, searched and found the body of a male, covered by debris, in the rear yard of the home.

Ms. Cori, who also uses the alias Lara Corey, and Mr. Howze were both arraigned yesterday on charges related to the disappearance. They are believed to have assaulted Mr. Webster inside a room at Motel 6 in Northboro, where they were captured on video leaving late on the evening of March 13, the day Mr. Webster, a mildly autistic man who also has diabetes, disappeared. Mr. Webster was seen on video going into the motel but he was never seen leaving.

The suspects later returned to the motel and appeared to gather some items before leaving again, according to court documents.

A search of their room turned up bloodstains on the carpet. State police investigators also found blood outside the rear of the motel, drag marks in the brush and a shovel inside the room.

They are still trying to find Mr. Webster's missing 2003 Cadillac Seville, which was last seen in Providence. Ms. Cori and Mr. Howze allegedly tried to sell the car in Providence on March 15, with Mr. Howze telling a potential buyer it was “hot” and that he'd had to “poke,” meaning stab, someone.

When the pair was captured in New York a few days later, a bloody shoe was found among their possessions, Assistant District Attorney Lisa Casella said.

The pair could face additional charges based on the discovery of the body, said Mr. Early, who was in court for Ms. Cori's arraignment yesterday.

“We hope the extended Webster family can bring their son home,” Mr. Early said in a written statement.

The discovery of the body came a few hours after a family friend, Vincenzo Frat'Antonio, erected a large statue of St. Joseph inside Mr. Webster's uncle's bakery at 339 West Boylston St., West Boylston, where Joseph Webster was scheduled to start a new job. The statue usually stands in Mr. Frat'Antonio's home.

Customers said St. Joseph is the patron saint of families and that seeing the statue prompted them to pray for Mr. Webster's return.

“I hope it helps,” Louis Nicholas of Sterling said as he sipped coffee at the bakery shortly before the news was announced. “I'm hoping the kid's still alive, but it doesn't sound good.”

Mr. Webster's family said earlier today they continued to hope for the return of his body for a proper burial. Gerardo Sarli, Mr. Webster's uncle, said he was surprised when the statue arrived and was pleased that he would be allowed to display it in the bakery until his nephew is brought home.

Mr. Frat'Antonio said he chose to bring the statue to Gerardo's Italian Bakery because he sees his longtime friend as “the St. Joseph of his family,” protecting them and looking out for his numerous relatives.

In Westboro District Court on Monday, Mr. Howze was arraigned on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (knife) and larceny of a motor vehicle. He was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail and reacted by raising the middle fingers of his handcuffed hands at Mr. Webster's family when they applauded the judge's decision.

Ms. Cori was arraigned on charges of armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, larceny of a motor vehicle and armed assault with intent to murder. She is being held without bail pending the outcome of a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Thursday. She had been indicted last week.

In court, a prosecutor said Ms. Cori asked another inmate in New York, where she was awaiting extradition to Massachusetts, whether she could be charged with murder if police did not find a body. She allegedly told the woman that she and Mr. Howze had made Mr. Webster disappear. She also asked if she could be charged with car theft if she was only a passenger.

The pair are believed to have been running a prostitution ring in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Ms. Casella said. Ms. Cori appears to have been using an Internet advertising site to promote herself, using the name Mercedes, as a $60 escort who does parties and overnights in the Westboro area.

Both she and Mr. Howze have criminal records. She has a history of using aliases and he has a history of drug offenses.

Mr. Webster's family characterized him as a helpful teenager whose autism made him a trusting person. Mr. Sarli has said he believes Mr. Howze and Ms. Cori took advantage of his nephew's kind-hearted nature, luring him into an unsafe situation.

He has said he hopes they are prosecuted, found guilty and spend the rest of their lives in jail.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

WESTBORO — A 19-year-old Worcester man whose body was found in a storage container in Providence was stabbed more than 10 times, and when his body was found, he was still wearing a gold chain and a cross that a family friend said was important to him.

Two people charged with the murder of Joseph Webster are being held without bail after their arraignment today in Westboro District Court.

Lara Cori, 22, and James Howze, 19, both of Providence, pleaded not guilty to the charges before Judge Vito A. Virzi in Westboro District Court.

They are accused of killing Mr. Webster, a mildly autistic man who had diabetes, inside a motel room in Northboro last month.

A body found Tuesday in a storage container behind a boarded-up house about a block from the couple's home was positively identified as that of Mr. Webster, said Assistant District Attorney Lisa Casella.

The Rhode Island medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.

Mr. Webster was reported missing to Worcester police by his family on March 13, according to court documents. A few days later, Worcester police asked officers in Northboro to check the Motel 6 on Route 9 because they believed Mr. Webster may have been there with two others, including Ms. Cori, who police said works as a prostitute using the name Mercedes.

In the hotel room, police found blood stains on the carpet, around a damaged window and beneath that window, on the ground at the rear of the motel. The report states the blood evidence is “consistent with a body being lowered out the second floor window, dragged to the parking lot and loaded into a vehicle.”

Video from cameras at the motel shows Mr. Webster entering the building March 13 with Mr. Howze and Ms. Cori just after 10 p.m. An hour later, Mr. Howze and Ms. Cori are seen on tape coming and going, leaving for about 2-1/2 hours, then returning and loading items into Mr. Webster's car at around 3:35 a.m. March 14. Mr. Howze, at one point, appears to be carrying a “bundle of sheets,” the report states.

The report also indicates that Mr. Webster's family members had been looking for him at the motel and in Providence, where a cousin spotted Mr. Webster's Cadillac Seville surrounded by four people on March 15.

A witness told police that after Mr. Webster's cousin left, Mr. Howze told him the vehicle was “hot” and that he'd “had to poke a kid and needed help to move the body.”

Mr. Howze and Ms. Cori allegedly fled to New York State in a car with a male driver and two or three other women, another witness told state police detectives. They were apprehended in Colonie, N.Y., and evidence, including black sneakers with blood stains, was found among their possessions.

Lawyers for both Ms. Cori and Mr. Howze said they want to move the case through the justice system and declined to comment on any of the evidence that prosecutors may have against their clients.

Ms. Cori's attorney, Mark Erlich, told the court she suffers from an “auditory processing disorder” which affects her ability to process what she hears. He said she spent years in the Rhode Island foster care system, was abused and then at around age 10, adopted.

She played ice hockey and lacrosse in school, he said, adding that her adoptive father was the only person in court to support her. She hung her head as the facts of the case were read.

After the arraignment, Mr. Erlich said, “Ms. Corey had absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Webster's murder. I wish we could prove that now or show that now but we have to wait until the trial.”

Mr. Howze, who during a court appearance on Monday made an obscene gesture at Mr. Webster's family after his bail was set at $1 million, was more subdued yesterday, hanging his head, looking at his family and swaying side to side. His lawyer, Mary June Ciresi, said he was, “displeased with all the media presence,” in the courtroom and found it intimidating to have the cameras in the courtroom. She said the reaction stemmed from his immaturity. “He's 19 years old and scared,” she said.

As he left the courtroom this time, he shouted to his family that he loved them, and they shouted back to him, despite the judge's warning that no outbursts would be tolerated.

A member of Mr. Howze's family repeated his obscene gesture at reporters outside the courthouse, cursing when another relative told her to stop.

Ms. Ciresi said that she cannot verify “the veracity of what's been said” in court.

“The comments made concerning what may have been uncovered during an investigation, it hasn't been challenged in a court of law,” she said, adding that some of the information is hearsay. “We don't know how reliable the information they have is.”

Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. was in court for the arraignments and said afterward that the investigation is ongoing. He declined to say whether Mr. Webster knew the two suspects or how they might have run across one another.

He commended the various police departments in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York for the work on the case.

“As far as the rest of the case goes, we really have to let this play out in court,” Mr. Early said.
He said police are still looking for Mr. Webster's 2003 Cadillac Seville, which was last seen in Providence.
Mr. Webster's family has said he was a “devoted, loving son,” whose trusting nature may have been taken advantage of by the suspects.

Family friends who attended the arraignment yesterday said Mr. Webster used to sit in his father's barbershop dreaming of one day taking over the place. He had been scheduled to start work at his uncle's popular bakery, Gerardo's Italian Bakery, family members said.

A couple at the arraignment, Emily and Michael, who declined to provide their last names,
said they were troubled by the alleged murder and the cruel nature of the world.

“He was a good boy,” they said, adding that they have no idea how he met up with Mr. Howze and Ms. Cori.

The pair is due back in court on May 2 for a pretrial hearing. Ms. Corey is also slated for an appearance in Worcester Superior Court on May 3 after being ordered held without bail yesterday by Judge James R. Lemire on assault and car theft charges. She was indicted last week.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

By Gary V. Murray TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

WORCESTER — A grand jury handed up indictments today charging two people with murder in the slaying of a 19-year-old city man whose body was found in a storage container in Providence in April.

Lara Cori, also known as Lara Corey, 22, and James Howze, 19, both of Providence, were indicted on murder charges in the stabbing death of Joseph P. Webster, a mildly autistic man, inside a motel room in Northboro on or about March 13. Mr. Howze was also indicted on a charge of larceny of a motor vehicle related to the alleged theft of Mr. Webster’s Cadillac Seville.

Ms. Cori was previously indicted on charges of armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, larceny of a motor vehicle and armed assault with intent to murder.

Mr. Webster’s family reported him missing to police March 13. A few days later, Worcester police asked Northboro police to check the Motel 6 on Route 9 in that town because they believed Mr. Webster had been there with two other individuals, including Ms. Cori, who police said works as a prostitute under the name of Mercedes.

Investigators said they discovered bloodstains on a carpet in a room at the motel, around a damaged window and on the ground at the rear of the motel. The evidence, they said, was consistent with a body being lowered out of the second-floor window, dragged to the parking lot and loaded into a vehicle.

Surveillance video from the motel showed Mr. Webster entering the building shortly after 10 p.m. March 13 with Ms. Cori and Mr. Howze, according to investigators. An hour later, Mr. Howze and Ms. Cori are seen leaving for about 2-1/2 hours, then returning and loading items into Mr. Webster’s car, authorities said.

Court documents state that Mr. Webster was stabbed more than 10 times in the chest and left arm.

The two suspects were previously charged in Westboro District Court, where they were ordered held without bail. Their cases will be transferred to Worcester Superior Court now that they have been indicted.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

R.I. suspects indicted in Northborough murder

By Brad Petrishen/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News
Posted Jun 23, 2012 @ 12:00 AM

NORTHBOROUGH —
A Rhode Island pair police say murdered a mildly autistic teenager in a Northborough motel room in March was indicted on murder charges yesterday, Worcester Country District Attorney spokesman Timothy J. Connolly said.

A Worcester County grand jury indicted Lara Cori, 22, and James Howze, 19, on charges they stabbed Joseph P. Webster to death in a Motel 6 on Rte. 9 on the night of March 13 and dumped his body in a storage container in Providence, R.I. Authorities say Cori is a prostitute and Howze worked as her pimp.

Webster, 19, of Worcester, who was slightly autistic and had severe diabetes, was reported missing by his family after not returning home March 13. Cori and Howze were arrested in Colonie, N.Y. on March 21 while authorities continued to search for Webster’s body.

More than a week later, on April 3, they found the boy’s body under a pile of junk in a storage container less than a quarter of a mile away from the pair’s home in Providence.

Court documents state that Webster was stabbed more than 10 times in his left chest and upper arm and suffered a punctured lung.

Prosecutors said evidence shows that Webster’s body was thrown out of the motel window and dragged into his own car, which Howze and Cori then stole and tried to sell in Providence.

Howze was also indicted yesterday on one count of car theft. Connolly declined to say whether Webster’s silver 2003 Cadillac Seville has been found.

Authorities haven’t detailed the connection between the trio. Cori told a fellow inmate in a New York jail that Webster was a customer who had stolen money from her, court documents say. Webster’s family rejects that notion.

Howze and Cori, whom authorities allege were operating a prostitution ring in three area states, will be arraigned in Worcester Superior Court at a date to be determined later, Connolly said.

Read more: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]