1991 New Bedford homicide suspect identified by cold case unit
FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) — A 1991 New Bedford homicide of a Newport man has been solved by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Unit.
The shooting of 20 year-old Brent Davis, which took place at the Brickenwood Housing Project in New Bedford has been positively linked to Claudio Jorge, AKA Reynaldo Suriel and “Bobby,” according to the office of Thomas M. Quinn III.
Jorge was robbed and killed in the Dominican Republic in 2006 at the age of 40.
The case of Davis’ death was reopened in the fall of 2020 with Massachusetts State Trooper Katherine Sullivan assigned the case.
Witnesses to the shooting identified the suspect as “Bobby,” and a composite sketch was produced.
Attempts to located and apprehend the suspect were unsuccessful.
In her review of the case, Trooper Sullivan located several other witnesses and associates of “Bobby,” some of whom were interviewed.
Further investigation produced that the homicide was the result of a drug distribution dispute, and that the suspect was from the Dominican Republic and fled the city after the homicide.
According to another witness, “Bobby” went to his girlfriend’s apartment immediately after the shooting, and stated that Davis was dead and he needed to leave New Bedford.
A second witness confirmed the previous witnesses’ statements that “Bobby” committed the homicide.
Trooper Sullivan later made contact with a close relative of the suspect who was able to identify the suspect as Claudio Jorge and relay that he was killed in the Dominican Republic in 2006.
Jorge had a considerable criminal record of narcotics and weapons offenses and was incarcerated in New York in 1983 for an armed robbery and shooting.
He was incarcerated again in 1988 for drug and weapons crimes.
He was arrested in New York in 1992 and deported to the Dominican Republic in 1998.
With the confirmed identification of the suspect, Trooper Sullivan showed photos of Jorge to witnesses, who said with certainty that he was the suspect who had shot Davis.
Trooper Sullivan notified Davis’ mother in Newport that the suspect had been identified and was deceased.
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