A woman has been charged with the murder of a high-flying Boston attorney who was found stabbed to death and bound with duct tape aboard his houseboat.
Nora Nelson, 24, is accused of the first degree murder of Joseph Donohue, 65, who was discovered aboard the vessel at around 10:45pm on Sunday night.
She pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Friday where she shouted that it was, ‘the first time I’ve ever heard of this happening in my house’, Fox19 reports.
Donohue was found dead with multiple stab wounds, while his pet dog was also discovered deceased floating in the water, investigators said.
Prosecutors described how Donohue’s family became concerned when they didn’t hear from him two days and called for a well-being check.
When police got to his boat they were greeted by Nelson who said her name was ‘Casey’ and informed officers Donohue was at a strip club, investigators said.
The court heard she tried to shut the police out and began frantically cleaning until the came in.
‘When he opened the sliding doors in the bedroom leading to a patio area, he saw what would later be identified as 65-year-old Joseph Donohue’s body wrapped in a white and blue covering, secured with duct tape and affixed with weights,’ prosecutor Rita Muse said.
Nora Nelson has been charged with the murder of a high-flying Boston attorney who was found stabbed to death and bound with duct tape aboard his houseboat.
Boston attorney Joseph Donohue, 65, was found stabbed to death on his houseboat at around 10:45pm on Sunday night
She added that cleaning supplied and blood was found in various locations. A knife thought to be the murder weapon was also found in the water.
Police allege that traces of Nelson’s pink fingernails were embedded in the victim’s chest.
Nelson was initially named as a person of interest in the gruesome case.
As investigators looked into the young woman, who is originally from Tennessee, they found she had multiple warrants out for her arrest from unrelated incidents dating back to 2023.
She is currently facing charges in Texas for giving police a fake ID and was accused of assaulting her ex-boyfriend in Boston.
In September 2023, she faced charges of assault with a dangerous weapon on a person over 60, threatening to commit a crime, and malicious destruction of property.
And just a month after that incident, Nelson allegedly shoved her ex-boyfriend and broke multiple items in his apartment after refusing to move out when they broke up, a police report said.
She had also allegedly thrown a television remote at her ex in another attack, and he accused her of owing him over $300,000, police said.
Donohue was found with multiple stab wounds while his pet dog was also discovered dead in the water
Nora Nelson, 24, was arraigned on ‘unrelated warrants’ on Tuesday by officers investigating Donohue’s grisly death before being charged with murder to which she pleaded not guilty
Nelson’s attorneys said this week that she has no criminal record in Massachusetts and is a graduate from the University of Maryland with a degree in computer science. They said she insists she is innocent.
Donohue’s family said that they were ‘heartbroken by this unimaginable loss.’
‘Joe was a wonderful family member, a cherished friend, and a trusted colleague. Always generous and kind, he dedicated his life and career to helping others. He is loved and will be deeply missed,’ the family said, per the Boston Globe.
