Defense to receive witness info in Lynn murder trial

SALEM – The defense lawyer for Fernando Aristy, the man charged with the beating death of a Peabody father in Lynn last October, will be furnished with any information about a key prosecution witness.Aristy, 25, a former Chelsea resident, is charged with the beating death of Chad R. McDonald Sr., 34, of Peabody, on Oct. 9, 2010.The incident occurred outside a 37 Bennett St., Lynn warehouse after the pair got into a fight over a parking space.Aristy had been hanging out with friends on Bennett Street that night drinking and playing dominoes. He began arguing with McDonald about blocking access to the front entrance of the warehouse, when McDonald grabbed a screwdriver and he and Aristy went down to the ground, with McDonald ending up on the bottom. Aristy allegedly grabbed a piece of wood, possibly from a nearby wooden fence that separated the two businesses, and hit McDonald.McDonald was later found inside the warehouse by a friend badly beaten and he died from his injuries 11 days later.In Salem Superior Court Thursday afternoon, defense lawyer John P. Morris asked the government to turn over to him all copies of written correspondence or any oral conversations reduced to writing between them and any agency regarding prosecution witness Wilfredo Ignatia Mordan’s status as an illegal alien.In addition, Morris asked for any rewards and promises made to Mordan in exchange for his testimony in the upcoming trial.Mordan, formerly of 8 Ridge Road, Revere, had been deported back to his native Dominican Republic following his arrest on identity fraud charges last February. He reportedly also has used several alias names while in this country.