Rehoboth Man Convicted of Father’s Murder

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A Rehoboth man was convicted today for the 2021 murder of his father.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced that Joseph “JD” Housley II was convicted of first degree murder after a jury trial in Fall River Superior Court that lasted more than three weeks.

On July 6, 2021 at about 9:53 p.m., Seekonk Police responded to reports of gunshots at an apartment at 101 Forsythe Circle in Seekonk, where Joseph Housley, 66, was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

Get our free mobile app

Son and Friend Indicted Following 15-Month Probe

After a 15-month investigation, his son Joseph Housley II, then 21 years old, was indicted on a charge of murder and carrying an illegal firearm, along with his close friend and co-defendant Christopher Heron, also 21.

Co-Defendant Already Serving Life Sentence

Heron was found guilty of second-degree murder in June of this year and then sentenced to life in prison last month. He is eligible for parole after 18 years.

Housley will be sentenced on December 1, 2025.

District Attorney Praises Jury’s Decision

"I am pleased the jury held the defendant accountable in murdering his own father. It demonstrates a very disturbed mind," District Attorney Quinn said.

States Ranked by Gun Death Rates

Gun death rates per 100,000 are high in the U.S., and getting higher. Here's a list of states ranked by firearm safety, from lowest death rates to highest. Data for 2021 is from the CDC via Violence Policy Center.

Gallery Credit: Kate Robinson

The Victims in the New Bedford Highway Murders

The New Bedford highway murders took place in 1988, with the bodies discovered into 1989. The killer is confirmed to have killed nine women and suspected of murdering at least two more. Although there were at least three different men considered as suspects by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, the murders remain unsolved and the families of the victims are still searching for closure. The cases are all featured on the unsolved cases page of the Bristol County District Attorney's Office website.

Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg