Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of second degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in Boston Federal Court Wednesday afternoon in connection to a murder aboard a scalloping vessel off the coast of Nantucket in 2018.
Meave Vazquez, a Mexican national, had his sentencing scheduled for June 28, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs. Meave Vazquez was indicted in November 2018 and is in the United States illegally.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts, on Sept. 23, 2018, a scalloping vessel called The Captain Billy Haver was sailing approximately 55 miles off the coast of Nantucket with seven crew members aboard, including Meave Vazquez and the three victims.
Inside the shucking house, Meave Vazquez used a hammer to strike the first victim hard in the head, rendering him unconsciousness.
Meave Vazquez then walked out onto the deck and stabbed the second victim multiple times with a long fillet knife. The attorney’s office said that the third victim climbed up from the ice hold in response to the commotion and was struck in the head by Meave Vazquez with the hammer, causing him to fall down the ladder and suffer bleeding from his head.
Meave Vazquez then proceeded to struggle with the vessel captain before climbing to the top of the rigging mast.
The first two victims were taken by rescue boat to a nearby ship for medical attention. The second victim was later pronounced dead.
Meave Vazquez remained at the top of the mast until the Coast Guard arrived that evening. He was immediately taken into custody and transferred into federal custody upon his arrival at the Boston port the next day.
The charge of second-degree murder provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
The charge of attempted murder provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
The charge of assault with a dangerous weapon provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Meave Vazquez will also be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentence imposed.
Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge.
