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Michael Lewis Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in 1984 and 1993 Killings, Gets 15 Years

Prosecutors cited fading, credibility-troubled witnesses in opting for a plea deal rather than uncertain murder trials.

Overview

  • In Suffolk Superior Court on Nov. 5, the 65-year-old admitted killing Boston Housing Authority supervisor William Villani in 1993 and shooting Brian Watson in 1984.
  • The judge imposed concurrent 15-year sentences with credit for roughly three years already served, according to court records.
  • New Hampshire’s attorney general said the Watson case is now closed and praised investigators for their persistence.
  • A covert 2020 recording captured Lewis admitting to both killings, and a judge later denied a defense motion to suppress the tape.
  • Prosecutors say Watson’s slaying stemmed from a drug dispute linked to the Whitey Bulger era, as relatives delivered emotional victim-impact statements in court.