New Bedford Man Arrested and Charged in 2005 Cold Case Murder

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — A New Bedford man is being arraigned today in Bristol County Superior Court for the murder of a woman whose body was found on the side of the road in Westport nearly 20 years ago.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced that Simao Farias, 62, was indicted by a grand jury yesterday and arrested last evening for the 2005 murder of 42-year-old Suzanna Alvarado.

Alvarado’s body was discovered on the side of Route 88 in Westport on October 17, 2005. The medical examiner determined Alvarado had been beaten and strangled to death. According to the D.A.’s Office, Alvarado had been living in New Bedford and had been known to work as a prostitute.

The initial investigation into Alvarado’s murder failed to develop any meaningful suspects, the D.A.’s Office said.

A complete forensic review of the case evidence by the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab in 2020 led to the discovery of a biological sample on Alvarado’s shirt, which through testing and additional investigation led authorities to Farias. The D.A.’s Office said his DNA was consistent with DNA taken from two other locations from Alvarado’s person and clothing.

Farias was indicted by a grand jury on December 18 and arrested that evening. He is scheduled to be arraigned today at 2 p.m. in Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River.

The D.A.’s Office said the investigation into the cold case murder was a collaborative effort of the office’s Cold Case Unit, Massachusetts State Police Unresolved Case Unit, Bristol County State Police Detective Unit, the Westport and New Bedford Police Departments, Othram Laboratories and the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory.