Overview
- Massachusetts State Police announced Thursday that Troopers Ryan Costello and Robert Branca were suspended with pay while both a criminal probe and an internal affairs review proceed.
- Edward J. Brown, a 27-year-old Boston Public Schools security official, was arrested Oct. 9, has pleaded not guilty to a rape charge, and is due back in court in December while released on $10,000 bail.
- Investigators recovered a sexual assault kit that found male DNA that is being tested against a sample from Brown and have seized multiple cellphones for review.
- Evidence gaps complicate the case because the victim’s clothing and cellphone remain missing, and prosecutors cite text messages and a gap in communications between Brown and Trooper Costello that investigators have examined.
- Col. Geoffrey Noble ordered new rules banning overnight guests at seasonal barracks and requiring written approval and accompaniment for visitors, and Boston Public Schools placed Brown on administrative leave as the inquiry continues.