18-Year-Old Charged in Danvers Woman's Stabbing Death

An 18-year-old Massachusetts high school senior has been charged with murder in the random stabbing death of a 68-year-old woman in her Danvers home on March 12. Anthony DeMayo of Lynn faces the charge in connection with the killing of Janet Swallow, whose body was discovered inside her residence at 17 Amherst Street that afternoon, authorities said.

Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker announced the charge during a press conference Thursday evening, describing the attack as random with no known connection between DeMayo and Swallow. "What we can say and what we believe at this point is this was random," Tucker told reporters. "There was no connection between the defendant and the resident who was the victim here, Ms. Swallow."

The investigation began around midday when Lynn police received a 911 call reporting a man walking along Standish Road carrying a knife. Officers arrived and encountered DeMayo, who was behaving erratically and holding a knife with reddish-brown stains consistent with blood. Due to his condition, police transported him to Salem Hospital for evaluation under a Section 12 psychiatric hold.

As officers followed up, they searched DeMayo's home in Lynn...