The 65-year-old Boston attorney found dead on his houseboat this month was discovered with pink fingernails stuck to his chest, authorities say.
Joseph Donohue was found slain on a houseboat in a marina in Boston on Feb. 2, by officers responding to a welfare check from a family member, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office previously told us.
Boston police have charged 24-year-old Nora Nelson, who was on the houseboat when police arrived, with murder, the department said in a statement last week.
Upon arriving at the scene, responding officers encountered Nelson with her dog, but when they tried to confront her, she allegedly tried to stop them from entering the houseboat, police wrote in a report filed in court and cited by The Boston Globe.
After the officers managed to get inside the boat, they found Donohue’s body wrapped in tarp and duct tape, attached to weights, per investigators, The Boston Globe, NBC Boston and WCVBreported.
Donohue had artificial pink fingernails stuck on his chest when he was discovered, the report stated, per The Boston Globe and CBS News.
There were blood stains on the blanket covering his body as well as the rear of the houseboat, police said.
Another dog was also found floating dead in the water, per the police report cited by the Boston Globe.
Joseph Donohue.
Family handout
Nelson was arraigned in court on Friday, per The Boston Globe, WCVB and CBS News.
Prosecutors contend Nelson tried to mislead police during their initial conversation, giving a fake name and claiming she hadn’t seen Donohue in some time, according to CBS News, The Boston Globeand WCVB.
She also allegedly claimed, falsely, that the blood on the vessel was from her period, per prosecutors, The Boston Globe reported.
“Her statements were contradictory, and frankly she lied,” prosecutors said at her arraignment, per the outlet.
According to her social media profiles, Nelson is a graduate of University of Maryland, a former ballerina and describes herself as an entrepreneur and a farmer.
In a photo on her Facebook from 2020, she wrote, “I’ve been out of the ballet scene for a while, but I think I still got it.”
Donohue was an attorney in Boston and divorced father of three, Borghesani told us. He “dedicated his life and career to helping others,” his family previously said in a statement to Boston 25.
“Our family is heartbroken by this unimaginable loss. Joe was a wonderful family member, a cherished friend, and a trusted colleague,” they said. “He is loved and will be deeply missed.”
Nelson entered a plea of not guilty in court on Friday, The Boston Globe, WCVB and CBS News reported. She is being held without bail.
