Re-trial scheduled for Lynn man convicted of murder

SALEM – The re-trial of Jerome McNulty, a former Lynn man convicted of murdering his girlfriend 10 years ago, is slated for a March trial date.In Salem Superior Court Tuesday morning, Assistant District Attorney Jean M. Curran and defense lawyer Frances L. Robinson told Judge Timothy Q. Feeley that they were reading for trial, suggesting March 5.Feeley agreed to docket that date for them with a final pre-trial date of Feb. 16.McNulty, 34, was convicted in 2004 and spent more than 10 years in custody for the early morning, March 29, 2001 fatal stabbing death of his girlfriend, Linda Correia, 27, inside her 10 Peabody St., Salem apartment and also injuring her 10-year-old daughter, Alex-Sandra, and a friend and babysitter, Heather Colahan, 20.McNulty was convicted on all three charges and sentenced to life without parole on the murder charge. He also was sentenced to consecutive sentences of eight to 12 years in state prison for the two stabbings.The Supreme Judicial Court in November of last year reversed the murder conviction in Correia?s death and ordered a new trial. In their ruling the justices cited a delay by police in getting instructions to McNulty that a lawyer had to be assigned to his case by the public defender?s officer and that the lawyer wanted him to stop talking to officers.Correia was stabbed 15 times in her neck, face and chest with a long-bladed knife just before 7 a.m.Police were summonsed to the apartment after receiving a 911 call. When they arrived they found Correia lying in a pool of blood. She was taken to Salem Hospital where she died that day. Police arrested McNulty shortly after the incident on Lafayette Street in Salem.McNulty was living at 78 Collins St. in Lynn at the time of the incident.He currently remains held without bail at MCI Norfolk.