Stoneham Man Charged With Murder of His Young Son

A Stoneham man was indicted by a grand jury on one count of murder Thursday for allegedly shaking his infant son, causing serious injuries that led to his death eight years later, according to a statement made by Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone Thursday afternoon.

Brian Saucier, 41 is scheduled to be arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn Friday at 9 a.m. 

“This defendant is alleged to have seriously and violently physically assaulted his infant son, just (six) weeks old at the time, resulting in substantial brain injuries that left him severely disabled, ultimately causing the victim’s death eight years later,” Leone said in the statement. “Since the day that the defendant (allegedly) assaulted his son, the victim had been completely dependent on others, suffering from severe brain damage that we allege was inflicted at the hands of the defendant.

"We will continue to seek justice on behalf of this victim and for all vulnerable victims that are hurt by those that are supposed to care and protect them.”

On Sept. 19, 2002, Stoneham Police responded to an apartment on Franklin Street for reports of a baby who had stopped breathing, according to authorities. Police found the defendant holding his six-week-old son, who unresponsive upon their arrival.

The victim was transported to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital and later to New England Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome, the statement read.

After several months of treatment and rehabilitation in area hospitals, the victim was discharged. He lived with his mother and her family for the past eight years.

The victim required constant monitoring and received assistance from nurse at the home. The critical and ultimately fatal brain injuries that the victim sustained left him in a vegetative state, unable to sit, stand, walk, hold his head up, purposefully move his extremities, swallow, or talk, the statement read. 

On the morning of May 1, the victim was discovered unresponsive and transported to Boston Children’s Hospital, the statement read. The child was pronounced dead later that day.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy on the victim and ruled the cause of death to be complications of serious violent shaking, and the manner of death to be homicide, the statement read.

These charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, Leon said in the statement.

The prosecutor assigned to this case is Assistant District Attorney Katharine Folger, and the victim witness advocate is Susie Marshall, read the statement.