Suspect Arrested In Cooper Murder

More than a year after Laurence Cooper, a homeless man, was stabbed to death on Mass. Ave. between Harvard and Central squares, Cambridge police have arrested a man in connection with the killing.

Richard Kachadorian, 52, was arrested on December 16 in Swamp-scott, Mass., shortly after police were alerted that he might be in the area.

Police arrested Kachadorian when he showed up at a friend's house to pick up a car that he had planned to borrow, the Middlesex District Attorney's office said in a statement.

"We had information that he might show up there, so we set up a surveillance. He arrived, and we made the arrest," said Detective Frank T. Pasquarello of the Cambridge Police Department.

Cooper was stabbed repeatedly in the heart and throat on November 22, 1996, and died several days later at Mass. General Hospital.

A warrant for Kachadorian's arrest was issued one week after the attack, according to Pasquarello, but police according to Pasquarello, but police were unable to locate Kachadorian.

"We had several different addresses, but we weren't sure where he was living," Pasquarello said.

The District Attorney's spokesperson, Brian Heffron, would not comment on the evidence against Kachadorian.

However, shortly after the homicide, police said there had been witnesses to the incident and to an argument Cooper had with a man prior to the homicide.

Heffron said legal proceedings had continued despite Kachadorian's absence.

Kachadorian was indicted in absentia in February, he said.

On December 17, kachadorian was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge.

Kachadorian will not stand trial "for about a year" due to the various pre-trial motions that will likely take place, Heffron said.

Assistant District Attorney William Bloomer, the prosecutor in this case, was unavailable for comment yesterday

"We had several different addresses, but we weren't sure where he was living," Pasquarello said.

The District Attorney's spokesperson, Brian Heffron, would not comment on the evidence against Kachadorian.

However, shortly after the homicide, police said there had been witnesses to the incident and to an argument Cooper had with a man prior to the homicide.

Heffron said legal proceedings had continued despite Kachadorian's absence.

Kachadorian was indicted in absentia in February, he said.

On December 17, kachadorian was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge.

Kachadorian will not stand trial "for about a year" due to the various pre-trial motions that will likely take place, Heffron said.

Assistant District Attorney William Bloomer, the prosecutor in this case, was unavailable for comment yesterday