WORCESTER – A Shrewsbury man will serve between 18 to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
Joseph Dalrymple, 37, pleaded guilty in Worcester Superior Court today in connection to the 2018 killing of Marlene Bleau, according to a press release from Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr.
Bleau, who was 38, was found face-down in the water in a part of Lake Quinsigamond near Lake Avenue on July 28, 2018. The autopsy indicated that Bleau died as a result of mechanical asphyxia.
According to a 2018 MassLive article, police initially believed that Bleau was the victim of a drowning, but Worcester Police Department detectives later learned from an autopsy that she had injuries to her neck and trauma to her forehead.
A Worcester Police Department investigation indicated that Dalrymple was the last person seen with Bleau prior to the discovery of her body, according to Early’s press release. Early said that as part of the investigation, authorities located video surveillance and collected witness statements.
Boston 25 reported that Dalrymple’s trial was originally scheduled for October 2020, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic until March.
Jury selection was originally scheduled to take place on Sept. 22.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Courtney Sans and Lina Pashou.
