Fall River man pleads guilty to death of 14-year-old son in 2020 – Boston News, Weather, Sports

FALL RIVER, MASS. (WHDH) – A Fall River man was sentenced to life in prison this week in the death of his 14-year-old son after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

John Almond’s son David, who had autism, was found dead at his home in Fall River in 2020. It was later determined that he died of starvation, neglect, and abuse.

Prosecutors said conditions at David’s home were deplorable as thousands of fentanyl sachets were found inside.

The prosecutor’s office said David was happy in school before his father regained custody of his siblings. Along with David, one of his siblings was also found malnourished with fentanyl in his system when investigators began investigating the case.

John Almond’s life sentence comes with a right to parole in 20 years.

Almond was charged alongside his girlfriend Jaclyn Marie Coleman on charges related to his son’s death in 2020.

The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office at the time said officers responded to an 911 call reporting an unresponsive boy to locate Coleman doing CPR with David.

The prosecutor’s office said David was taken to a hospital in the area, where he died.

David’s siblings were placed in the care of the Department of Children and Families after David’s death.

The State Office of the Child Advocate released results in 2021 that identified a multiple system failure prior to David’s death.

Among other things, the Office of the Child Advocate called the decision to reunite the children with John Almond and Coleman in this case “a grave error that was compounded.” [COVID-19] Pandemic.”

The office issued recommendations based on its findings, which it would work with various agencies and officials to implement.

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