WALTHAM — Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Waltham Chief of Police Kevin O’Connell announced that Jonathan Galindo, 38, of Waltham has been found guilty of second-degree murder and aggravated burglary for the 2020 fatal stabbing of Kevin Fitzgerald, 61.
On Oct. 31, 2020, at 9:14 p.m., Kevin Fitzgerald of Waltham called 911 and told police that he had been stabbed and was dying.
When officers arrived at his Alder Street home they found him at the threshold, bleeding badly.
He was conscious and stated he had been stabbed by a man wearing a ninja mask.
Kevin Fitzgerald was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead just after 10 p.m.
An autopsy revealed that Kevin Fitzgerald had suffered three stab wounds, in the chest, shoulder and thigh.
The stab wound to the chest punctured his lung and was the fatal wound.
Inside his home, investigators located blood and a knife, which was sent to the State Police Crime Laboratory.
Investigators also tested for fingerprint evidence on the back storm door.
Leading up to that door, were a set of footprints still visible from recent snow.
On Nov. 4, 2020, investigators learned that a left index finger impression found on the back storm door at the victim’s home matched the left index fingerprint of Jonathan Galindo.
The subsequent investigation revealed that Galindo was a former housemate of the victim’s and had moved out of the apartment in the spring of 2020.
On Nov. 7, 2020, investigators received results from the State Police Crime Laboratory DNA unit that a DNA profile from the handle of the knife, which was found on the stairs at the Alder Street residence, was a match to Galindo.
The same day, investigators sought and were granted a search warrant for the defendant’s apartment and an arrest warrant for Galindo.
A search of the defendant’s apartment located a black mask in his closet.
A search of the defendant’s phone, which he stated he always had with him, included location data that placed the phone at the Alder Street location at the time of the stabbing.
A search of the phone’s internet search history revealed repeated searches for “Any recent stabbings in Waltham last night?” on the day after the murder.
A Middlesex jury returned a guilty verdict on June 2 after a three-week trial that began on May 8.
Sentencing has been scheduled for July 15 at 2 p.m.
The investigation was conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts State Police assigned to that office and Waltham Police.
The prosecutors assigned to this case were Carrie Spiros and Yashmeen Desai.
