Suspect in Fall River Stabbing Death Charged with Manslaughter

FALL RIVER — The man charged in connection to the fatal stabbing of another man in Fall River on Saturday is now officially being charged with manslaughter.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn announced Wednesday that Adam James Conners, 29, of Fall River, will be arraigned on the new manslaughter charge on Friday as part of his dangerousness hearing. Conners was arraigned on Monday afternoon on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon — causing substantial injury after he turned himself in to court authorities earlier that morning.

Conners and his co-defendant, Mark Costa, 26, of Fall River, were both ordered held without bail pending the results of dangerousness hearings on Friday. Costa is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon — causing substantial injury.

On Saturday, January 12, at approximately 11:35 p.m., Fall River Police responded to the area of Church and Hall Streets for a motor vehicle accident. Officers located the victim, Joseph Reading, 39, of Fall River, in the driver's seat of the vehicle, bleeding and unresponsive. He was transported to St. Anne's Hospital in Fall River where he was pronounced dead.

An investigation by police revealed that Reading was at a gathering at 160 Hall Street earlier that evening where he was involved in an altercation and was injured.