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MALDEN — The Saugus man charged with allegedly killing a Lynn man was ordered held without bail at his arraignment in Malden District Court Thursday morning, and prosecutors said he was likely motivated by jealousy over his estranged wife resuming a relationship with the father of her children.
Brian Green, 35, is charged with murder and armed burglary in connection with the July 19 slaying of Jarmahl Sutson, 38. Green and Sutson’s families knew each other, having both grown up in Lynn, according to Michael Satterwhite, a Lynn-based attorney who is Sutson’s first cousin.
A not-guilty plea was entered on Green’s behalf and he will return to court for a probable cause hearing on Sept. 17.
Prosecutors allege that Green entered the Everett apartment where he and his estranged wife at one point lived, around 4:20 a.m., letting himself in with a key before moving through the darkened apartment to the bedroom where Sutson and his estranged wife were sleeping. Green then allegedly shot Sutson in the head, according to a probable cause statement filed in court.
Green’s estranged wife called police at 4:22 a.m. after discovering Sutson in a pool of blood and finding a shell casing in the bed. She told police Sutson was not breathing.
During the arraignment, prosecutors painted a picture of a man with a history of violent behavior toward women — including his estranged wife — whose anger boiled over. Green and his estranged wife were married in 2018 but were in the process of a divorce at the time of the murder.
“On the defendant’s records there was prior domestic violence, there was two prior restraining orders … the combination of those signify that when there is a dating relationship between this defendant and a female, when that female wants to end the relationship this defendant will not accept it,” Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Suzanne Wiseman told Judge Emily Karstetter and roughly two dozen members of Sutson’s family, who had gathered in the courtroom. “All of the prior violence that are on his record and his prior restraining orders are from women who tried to end relationships with the defendant and the defendant would not accept it.”
“Over the course of the past several months, this defendant has expressed anger at the ex-wife over the fact that she had resumed a relationship with the father of her child. There is numerous text messages pertaining to this defendant’s anger or upset with that person and they were in communication up until the night before the murder where he was threatening anger towards her about the fact that she was ‘ghosting’ him that she was not responding to him,” Wiseman continued.
Green’s brother, Ken, had warned him to leave his estranged wife alone after learning of her relationship with Sutson.
As Wiseman spoke, members of Sutson’s family, many of whom were wearing black t-shirts emblazoned with Sutson’s face, showed little emotion save for one moment where a woman could be seen holding her head in her hands.
Wiseman described distinct evidence allegedly tying Green to the crime — including security footage of him leaving his father, MBTA Transit Police Chief Kenneth Green’s home, and footage showing his car pulling over less than a half a block away from the murder. Green had allegedly tried to cover up his crime by telling family members and friends that he had gone directly from home to work. According to the probable cause statement, Green was employed by Keolis, which operates the commuter rail, as an assistant conductor.
Wiseman said the person responsible for the slaying not only had access to the apartment but was also able to navigate it in the dark — qualities that she said applied to Green, a former resident of the apartment.
“The apartment is dark yet the perpetrator obviously was familiar with the layout and the inside of that apartment because they were able to enter two locked doors, go into a dark apartment, travel through a dark kitchen, down a dark hallway, past two closed doors to enter the correct door and shoot the person on the correct side of the bed, which suggests familiarity not only with that apartment, but also specifically that bedroom,” Wiseman said.
Green’s Attorney Gordon Spencer offered no defense to the allegations made by Wiseman during the hearing, instead asking Karstetter to hold Green without prejudice, which she did.
Following the arraignment, Satterwhite offered a statement on behalf of the family.
“Although we are happy to see justice start to work, we are disappointed to see the suspect involved. Brian Green is no stranger to our family or to the community. We can agree that violence is never the answer, and we are seeking peace through the judicial process at this point,” Satterwhite told reporters. “Jarmahl Sutson was a father, a son, and a brother. This one unfortunate event will sadly forever impact our family.”
Satterwhite said the family will be establishing a nonprofit called the one-percenters to help support children whose parents are victims of gun violence. Sutson was a father of three, he said.
Hearing details of the killing was difficult for the family, he said, and he is still in shock.
“It’s all of 15 minutes, but it opens up a lot of floodgates, a lot of emotions,” Satterwhite said. “I haven’t processed a lot of it yet. I’m shocked as to see who the suspect is, and we’re hopeful that the process will take place and that it will go through the judicial process.”
“It’s devastating, as you can see from the facts that were presented by the District Attorney’s Office. It was a horrendous crime,” Satterwhite continued.
Charlie McKenna can be reached at [email protected].
