Man held in double murder

A suspect has been arrested and charged with the shooting deaths of two Chelsea men last week in a Chester Avenue apartment.

Steven Andre, 22, was taken into custody without a fight by State and Chelsea Police Detectives Tuesday.

He pleaded innocent to two counts of murder.

It was not revealed where Andre was arrested or who led police to Andre. However he was held without bail following a court hearing in Chelsea District Court Tuesday.

Andre, whose last address was listed in Malden, apparently planned the shootings of Chelsea residents Angel Acevedo and Jenret Appleberry for up to three weeks before carrying out the executions early on Labor Day morning, according to prosecutors in the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley.

Assistant District Attorney John Pappas told Chelsea District Court Judge Diana Moldonado that Andre was known to both victims and had visited their residence on Chester Avenue on several occasions.

“Without warning and without provocation, without justification or excuse, this defendant shot Angel Acevedo and Jenret Appleberry, who were unarmed at the time,” Pappas told the court. “It is believed one of the victims was shot as he slept,” he added.

According to Pappas, Andre searched the victims’ apartment for money, after the murders and took steps to cover his tracks by wiping down surfaces inside the apartment and retrieving at least one shell casing from the scene.

“The defendant also made specific threats to retaliate against any potential witnesses or their families if they spoke to the police,” Pappas added.

“The defendant also allegedly made statements that he had planned out his attack on Acevedo and Applebury during the three weeks preceding the murders.”

According to Pappas and the police, the investigation into the double homicide remains active and ongoing.

Police are still searching for a motive and for possible accomplices.

The double murder has caused an outpouring of grief from the friends of the dead men, who were both well-known in Chelsea.

The families of the dead men have been thrown into a state of utter despair.

On Chelsearcord.com, dozens of area residents and those who knew the dead men have written their points of view about coverage in the newspaper relating to the double homicide.

Some have expressed outrage over the coverage. Others have indicated that many questions arise as to why this type of crime happens in Chelsea and of what exactly it means.

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