Marblehead murder suspect pleads not guilty

LYNN – A 51-year-old Marblehead woman told police nothing happened after officers responded to her home in November on a report that her boyfriend had threatened to kill her during an argument.On Monday, the woman was dead and her boyfriend held without bail on a charge of murder.But a defense attorney said that his client has no idea why he was arrested and that a prosecutor presented no evidence connecting the defendant to the alleged crime.John Devine, 28, of 27 Sparhawk Terrace, Marblehead, pleaded not guilty Monday to murder in connection with the death of Tanya Nichols, 51, of the same address.Police responded to the home at 11:17 a.m. Sunday after a man told police he had gone to his former home to pick up property and found his former roommate, Nichols, dead, according to a report by Marblehead Police Sgt. Sean Brady. The man told police he had moved out because of a violent relationship between Nichols and Devine, police said.Police found Nichols on her bedroom floor with a pool of blood and blood-soaked clothing around her head. The glass door to the bedroom was shattered, a nightstand had its legs broken off, and a bedpost was on the bureau, police said. Nichols was determined to have died of head trauma.Another tenant at the home allegedly told police he was awakened at approximately 1 a.m. Saturday by loud voices, banging and people running around upstairs. The witness said he tried texting Nichols the next day but did not hear back from her, according to police.A Lynn resident reported he, Devine and Nichols were smoking marijuana at the home Friday night when the couple began arguing and Devine followed Nichols to their room. The man told police he heard glass breaking and turned up the television to drown out noise from the fight.He then heard “a loud crash that sounded like furniture smashing off the ground,” police said.The alleged witness said he woke up around 8:30 a.m. Saturday and saw Nichols lying on the floor of her bedroom. She had a little blood on her leg; but the Lynn man said he didn’t think it was serious and said that Nichols was allegedly still breathing.Nichols’ rental car was gone Saturday morning, and the man could not get in touch with Devine, police reported the man said. The Lynn man admitted, however, that he had subsequently removed Devine and Nichols from his phone, telling police “he knew something serious had happened to Tanya Nichols,” police reported. The alleged witness also admitted he had lied to police in an earlier interview.Lynn Police found Nichols’ car and Devine at approximately 3:15 p.m. Sunday. Devine told police Nichols was harassing and belittling him and they got into a physical fight in the bedroom on Friday night, according to court documents. Nichols allegedly began grabbing Devine and throwing herself at furniture, and Devine told police he kicked a nightstand at her while she was lying on the floor. But police reported Devine later changed his story and said he threw the nightstand at Nichols while she was standing.Essex Assistant District Attorney Kim Gillespie requested that Devine be held without bail. She also requested that Devine’s bail from a Nov. 14 case involving Nichols be revoked. In that incident, Devine allegedly cornered and threatened to kill Nichols.A prosecutor had requested that Devine be held on $1,500 cash bail at his arraignment in that case. The prosecutor also requested Devine stay away from, have no contact with, and not abuse Nichols, according to court documents. Lynn District Court Judge James LaMothe ordered Devine released on personal recognizance with a bail warning and an order not to abuse Nichols.Devine also received a two-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to holding a knife against the throat of another girlfriend in 2010.Defense Attorney John Morris said he would not divulge his defense strategy, but requested investigative funds for the case.”I didn’t hear anything that would suggest he was involved with this other t