WORCESTER – A jury in Worcester County Superior Court found a local man guilty of a 2020 murder in the Grafton Hill neighborhood.
According to the office of Worcester County District Attorney Joe Early Jr., on June 30, 2020, Josue Rios, 29, confronted a man, Benjamin Willie, 26, who was slashing tires in the area. An altercation took place between the two, during which Willie stabbed Rios.
EMS transported Rios to UMass Memorial Hospital and later pronounced dead.
Willie faced arraignment for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and destruction of property on July 1, 2020. After Rios died, Early’s office sought to upgrade the assault charge to a charge of Murder int he Second Degree.
A Worcester County Grand Jury indicted Willie on Nov. 12, 2020.
The judge in the case set sentencing for July 28.
