Police search Somerville home in connection to body found behind school

NORWOOD, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) - Officials confirmed to FOX 25 they executed a search warrant at a home in Somerville connected to the discovery of a man's body behind a Norwood middle school.

Investigators tell FOX 25 they believe the victim, Vincent Lalli, 66, lived at the Sycamore Street home.

Neighbors in the area had concerns about what went on in the house and said that there were often parties there.

"Word of mouth got around in the street to say, hey listen, keep your eye on that house," one neighbor said.

Two roommates lived in the apartment with Lalli and one of them was listed as a Level 3 sex offender.

The Norfolk County District Attorney's office announced Thursday night that Lalli was identified as the man found by a dog walker behind the Coakley Street School Wednesday.

Lalli was reported missing to the Somerville Police Department early this week. Officials were able to identify the body with fingerprints.

Donna Brown, who lives across the street from Coakley Middle School, said that she walks her dog everyday in the area where the body was found. She is scared to walk her dog in that area again.

"Very scary, very scary," Brown said.

School officials decided to open the school Thursday. Parents were not worried as initial reports from the district attorney indicated that the death took place somewhere else.

"It sounds like it was just a random, you know, they dumped the body here. Hopefully it, you know, doesn't lead to anything else," parent Mark Whouley said.

The district attorney said Lalli's remains show signs of significant trauma, but investigators have no reason to believe the trauma occurred on school grounds or even in Norwood, and they are looking for a secondary scene. They aren't sure how long the body had been on the grounds, or when the death occurred.

Police won't say whether the remains were buried or covered, only that they weren't clearly visible and not far off of the school walkway. One of Lalli's family members confirmed that his body was dismembered when found.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call Norwood or State Police.

Cox Media Group