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South Boston Man Gets 15 Years After Pleading Guilty in 1984, 1993 Killings

Prosecutors accepted manslaughter pleas because a key witness might not be available.

Overview

  • Michael Lewis, 65, admitted in Suffolk Superior Court to manslaughter in the deaths of Brian Watson in 1984 and William Villani in 1993.
  • The judge ordered two 15-year terms to run concurrently at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, with credit for more than three years already served.
  • Investigators say Watson’s killing arose from a drug dispute reportedly tied to James “Whitey” Bulger and associate Kevin Weeks.
  • Villani, 46, was found beaten, stabbed, and shot inside his Boston Housing Authority office, where Lewis had worked for him.
  • A 2020 secret recording captured Lewis acknowledging both killings, and a judge denied a defense motion to suppress the tape.