By DAN TOMASELLO
PEABODY — A 53-year-old Middleton man was arrested and arraigned on July 29 in connection with the alleged murder of a 55-year-old Lookout Terrace man.
John Kosta was arraigned for the murder of Timothy O’Neil of 4 Lookout Terrace, Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker and Lynnfield Police Chief Nick Secatore announced in a statement emailed to the Villager. Massachusetts State Police (MSP) detectives assigned to Tucker’s office took Kosta into custody in the early morning of Tuesday, July 29 with assistance from the MSP Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS) and the United States Marshals Service.
Kosta pled not guilty to the murder charge later that day and he was held without bail.
On May 9, Lynnfield Police responded to a 911 call at approximately 8:30 p.m. and found O’Neil in his home with apparent trauma. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
Kosta is scheduled to return to court for a probable cause hearing on Aug. 27 via Zoom.
Tucker and Secatore did not release any details about what led up to O’Neil’s death.
Doreen Arnold said in an interview with NBC 10 Boston reporter Malcolm Johnson that she heard “three or four police cars” responding to the 4 Lookout Terrace home on May 9.
“It was so dark that we couldn’t see anything,” said Arnold. “It was a gentlemen who we have known probably since we got here 12 1/2 years ago. He always seemed very nice. Nothing has ever happened like that around here, since we have been here.”
O’Neil’s death is the second homicide to occur in Lynnfield in the past nine years and the fourth in the past 15.
According to O’Neil’s obituary posted on the Solimine Funeral Homes website, he was the “beloved husband and best friend of Kristin M. (Scollin) O’Neil, with whom he shared over five years of marriage and more than three decades of love and life together.
“Born in Salem on Halloween of 1969, Tim was the cherished son of Catherine (Roe) O’Neil and the late James W. ‘Brud’ O’Neil,” the victim’s obituary states. “He was raised in Lynn and attended Shoemaker Elementary, Pickering Junior High and St. Mary’s High School, graduating with the Class of 1988. An extremely gifted athlete, Tim was a standout on the football field and a proud member of St. Mary’s 1987 and 1988 state champion baseball teams.
“His passion for sports led him to Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut, and later to Westfield State College and UMass-Boston, where he continued playing football,” O’Neil’s obituary continued. “Tim’s athleticism didn’t stop in college — he played semipro football for the Merrimack Valley Outlaws and the Lynn Havoc.
“Known affectionately as ‘Timmy’ or ‘Bull,’ he was a strong, loyal and dependable presence in the lives of everyone who knew him,” O’Neil’s obituary stated. “He was self-employed in landscaping and snow removal, and took immense pride in his work, especially in keeping his own lawn and garden immaculate. Tim, like his Dad, was a familiar face at Gannon Golf Club for many years and enjoyed playing different courses with friends. He could often be found at the gym or watching sports at home — especially football. Though it brought plenty of teasing, Tim remained a devoted Dallas Cowboys fan.
“Above all, Tim loved spending time with his family including boat rides, walks in Lynn Woods, bike riding and always impressed the crowd with his skills as the grill master,” the obituary continued. “Though he was soft-spoken, his sense of humor and quick wit shone through to those close to him. He was the quiet rock of his family — a loving son, husband, father, grampy, brother, uncle and friend — whose strength, warmth and kindness will be deeply missed.
“In addition to his wife Kristin and his mother Cathy, Tim is survived by his loving children,” O’Neil’s obituary continued. “Terin O’Neil of Lynnfield and Alicia Kuchar of Chicago; his beloved granddaughter Layla Rich; his siblings, Elizabeth O’Neil and her husband Fred Gerson of Montclair, New Jersey; Jennifer Gormley and her husband Sean of Clinton; and Kevin O’Neil of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and his late wife, Ulrika; his sister-in-law Kathy Green and her husband, Ivan Mitchell, of Marblehead; his dear aunt and uncle Dennis and Cookie Roe; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.”
A GoFundMe page created in O’Neil’s memory has raised $25,100 in order to support his “granddaughter Layla’s education and helping his family navigate the financial burdens that come with such a tragic loss.” To donate to the fundraiser, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-tim-oneil.
In Peabody District Court on July 29, Essex County Assistant District Attorney Erin Bellavia handled Kosta’s arraignment on behalf of the commonwealth. Attorney Patrick Hakes represented Kosta.