Cambridge Recalls Murder Anniversary

A year after Jeffrey Curley was brutally murdered, a sense of loss weighs heavy on the minds of Cantabrigians who still remember the 10-year-old and are looking to upcoming trials for justice.

The high-profile murder case has also spurred legislative action and caught the attention of campaigning Acting Governor A. Paul Cellucci.

On Oct. 4, close to 800 runners and a large crowd of supporters gathered at the Cambridge Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall to remember Jeffrey and run in the first annual "Jeff's Run." According to race coordinator Trisha A. Kelley, the run-walk commemorating the death of the Cambridge 10-year-old raised $15,000 towards founding a Child Assault Prevention Program (CAPP) in Cambridge schools.

"It as an emotional, family kind of day," Kelley said. "It was also a great success, and people are already starting to get the word out for next year's run."

CAPP aims to create awareness in children of all ages in the Cambridge School System through workshops and role-playing exercises, Kelley said.

Jeffery's death and the details of his murder shocked the quiet Cambridge neighborhood, which seemed insulated from violence.

Police allege that Jeffrey was kidnapped by two men in their early twenties, Salvatore Sicari and Charles Jaynes, from near his grandmother's house.

After refusing sexual advances, the boy was murdered and his body dumped in the Piscataqua River near the New Hampshire-Maine border.

It is alleged that the two men were lovers and had pornographic pictures of both men and boys in their possession at the time of their arrests. It is also alleged that Jaynes sexually molested the boy after his death.

The horrible nature of Jeffrey's murder attracted the attention of the entire country. In Massachusetts, Cellucci has been one of the defendants' most steadfast and outspoken opponents.

Cellucci was among the first public officials to stand behind the Curleys and has stayed close to the family throughout the last year. He was also among the multitude at Jeff's Run earlier this month.

"Governor Cellucci was unbelievable. He blew the whistle, ran the race and gave out the trophies," Kelley said. "He cared a year ago and he still cares now."

Cellucci has supported numerous pieces of legislation brought forward in response to Jeffrey's violent death.

According to "Justice for Jeffrey Curley," a Web page that follows new developments surrounding Jeffrey's case, Cellucci signed the Child Pornography Act, a law that attempts to protect children in Massachusetts further.

"There will be zero tolerance for those who dare to dabble in this filth," Cellucci said during the signing.

The acting governor also took up the Curley's cause in his annual crusade to reinstate the death penalty in the Commonwealth. The bill was narrowly defeated by an 80 to 80 vote in the State House last November in its last step before reaching Cellucci's eager pen.

Though Cellucci was quick to condemn those who voted against the bill, the defeat was a welcome outcome for the defendants in the Curley case.

Official reports said that both men entered not-guilty pleas at the time of the arraignment and will maintain their innocence heading into the trials.

According to Brian T. Heffron, a spokesperson for the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office, Sicari's attorney applied for a motion to sever the cases on Sept. 29. The motion was granted by Judge Judith A. Cowin, and Sicari's separate trial will begin Oct. 20.

Jaynes' trial-date will be set in December.

Assistant District Attorney David R. Yanetti will try the case against Sicari.

Heffron said the state has charged both men with kidnapping and first-degree murder but would not comment on the sentence Yanetti will pursue.