Trial for man charged with killing Sgt. Michael Chesna, Vera Adams delayed until May

Jessica Trufant, The Patriot Ledger
·2 min read
Emanuel Lopes in Quincy District Court on July 17, 2018.
Emanuel Lopes in Quincy District Court on July 17, 2018.

WEYMOUTH – The long-awaited trial for the man charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of police Sgt. Michael Chesna and town resident Vera Adams has been delayed again because of a backlog of court cases.

Emanuel Lopes was indicted by a Norfolk County grand jury in September 2018 in connection with the deaths of Chesna and Adams on July 15, 2018. He has been held without bail since then as he awaits trial.

His jury trial has been rescheduled several times, and was most recently scheduled to begin Jan. 30, 2023. It is now scheduled for May 30. The final pretrial hearings are scheduled for Feb. 6 and 13.

Quincy: Man who police say kidnapped, raped woman near Wollaston T stop faces a judge

Braintree officer added to Brady List: video shows use of force against woman in custody

David Traub, a spokesperson for Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey, said the rescheduled date is due to "court congestion," and was not changed at the request of prosecutors or the defense. He said there is still a backlog because of court closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authorities say Lopes, who was 20 years old at the time, was fleeing a minor car accident when he threw a rock at Chesna's head, then shot him with the officer's gun.

Chesna was a 42-year-old married father of two young children and a U.S. Army veteran.

Another officer then arrived at the scene and returned fire through his windshield, hitting Lopes in his right knee. Lopes returned fire, then ran through a neighbor’s backyard. He then shot Adams, who was on the sun porch of her Torrey Street home, police said. She was 77.

Weymouth police Sgt. Michael Chesna and Vera Adams were killed on July 15, 2018.
Weymouth police Sgt. Michael Chesna and Vera Adams were killed on July 15, 2018.

Police said Lopes was still holding Chesna’s gun when he was stopped and arrested on Torrey Street. There was no ammunition left in the gun, prosecutors have said, and Lopes got on the ground as ordered by police.

Lopes is facing 11 charges, including two counts of murder and armed assault with intent to murder involving a firearm.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Trial for man charged with Chesna, Adams killings pushed back to May