WORCESTER – A Worcester Superior Court jury has found Mathew Locke, 38, guilty of four counts of first-degree murder in the 2018 killings of Sara Bermudez, 38, and her three children, Madison, 8, James, 6, and Michael, 2, the Worcester County DA’s office announced.
Their bodies were discovered in their West Brookfield home on March 1, 2018.
Locke was convicted on all counts under three theories of first-degree murder: deliberate premeditation, extreme atrocity and cruelty, and felony murder, with armed burglary and aggravated rape as underlying felonies. The jury also found him guilty of armed burglary and arson, as evidence indicated a fire at the scene had extinguished itself.
The trial spanned four weeks, including testimony from over 70 witnesses and 1,000 exhibits. After approximately 10 hours of deliberation, the jury returned the guilty verdicts.
“The deaths of this mother and her children were some of the most heinous crimes ever seen by this office,” Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said. He commended the prosecution team and law enforcement agencies for their efforts and expressed gratitude to the jury for handling the graphic evidence with professionalism.
Locke’s sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
Editor Charlene Arsenault can be reached at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
