New information postpones Fernandes hearing

SALEM – The pre-trial hearing for Peabody resident Ashley Fernandes was scheduled to unfold in Salem Superior Court Monday morning, but was postponed after recent discoveries surfaced, said Assistant District Attorney Kate MacDougall.MacDougall would not specify what new information was brought forth, but did say that psychological and DNA testing would be conducted. The new court date has been slated for Thursday, July 31.Fernandes, 28, of 7 Oak St., pleaded innocent earlier this month to murdering Jessica Herrera, his 25-year old live-in girlfriend, on April 5. He also pleaded innocent to two other charges that stemmed from an early incident on Dec. 24 – assault and battery and attempted murder.Herrera’s body was found wrapped in a blanket and tied with rope in a room located off the master bedroom she and Fernandes once shared. Fernandes later admitted to strangling her to death the night before.According to reports, on the night of the incident, Fernandes went to an Indian restaurant in Beverly and confessed his wrongdoings to another patron, Kenneth Morse, 48. In the midst of a casual conversation, Fernandes told Morse that he would be “reading about him in the newspaper within the next 15 days.”Fernandes went on to tell Morse that he had killed his girlfriend, but then retracted his statement, saying he was just kidding. Before leaving, Fernandes wrote his parents’ address and phone number in his native country of India on a sheet of paper and handed it to Morse. Morse turned the note over to police and identified Herrera through a booking photo.Peabody Police followed Herrera and pulled him over for driving without a license. After questioning him about his girlfriend, Herrera invited the police back to his apartment to check out the scene. In addition to finding her body, the police found clothing in a nearby dumpster, as well as a digital camera with photos capturing the murder as it unfolded.Fernandes will remain held without bail in Bridgewater until his new pre-trial hearing in Salem Superior Court on Thursday, July 31. If convicted, he faces life in prison with no opportunity for parole.