Posted on 01/23/2007 1:04:11 AM PST by raccoonradio
HUDSON, MA - Joseph Magno, the former Maynard teacher accused of raping one of his students, was found dead in his home yesterday just hours after appearing in Middlesex Superior Court.
"We got word that he died, but we have no information about how," said Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone.
Leone, who was informed of Magno's death about 8 last night, said a friend of Magno's found the former teacher dead in his home at 12 Rock Ave. That friend called police after finding Magno, he said.
Magno, who taught off and on for more than 40 years at Maynard High School, was under house arrest after being indicted last January on 18 counts of rape and indecent assault.
Leone said no cause of death was known as of 10:30 p.m. He was unsure if Magno's family had been notified.
Magno had myriad medical problems and had been hospitalized for ailments related to his heart and diabetes. He was initially arraigned in his hospital bed after taking ill.
Hudson Fire Lt. Stephen Geldart said firefighters received a call from Magno's home at 5:33 p.m., and an ambulance and fire engine were sent to the Rock Avenue house.
Geldart said Magno was taken to Marlborough Hospital.
One of Magno's lawyers, Donald DeMayo, said last night he will appear in court today to essentially end the court process. He would not comment on Magno's death.
"I can't right now. We'll do that tomorrow," said DeMayo.
At what turned out to be his final court appearance yesterday, Magno, who was accused of repeatedly raping a student between 2002 and 2004, appeared downcast and tense during what was supposed to a final appearance before his case went to trial.
Magno stared intently yesterday at his left hand, which he held out above his knee while waiting for the hearing to start in Middlesex Superior Court.
"My hand ..." the former Maynard High School teacher whispered to a friend. "It's shaking."
Judge Diane Kottmyer was expected to decide today whether to allow the prosecution's request to introduce evidence of 14 men who say they were also abused by Magno, who advised Maynard High's radio and cable television station.
The lengthiest discussion at the hearing was expected to be the prosecution's motion to include testimony from the 14 men. Assistant District Attorney Michael Chinman originally argued the motion in October, but Judge Peter Lauriat did not make a ruling.
Lauriat has since been transferred to another court district, and Kottmyer has been assigned the case.
Jury selection would have begun Friday in the trial to determine whether Magno is guilty of multiple sexual assaults on his now-18-year-old accuser.
Lawyers from both sides told Kottmyer yesterday they were eager to move forward, but a change in law and the court's postponement of a previously scheduled hearing required them to tie up some loose ends before trial.
At times throughout yesterday's hearing, Magno lowered his large frame in his chair, and placed his head on the table when lawyers specifically discussed the charges against him.
Chinman has said Magno bought cars for some of his students including his accuser and launched a seduction that often ended in oral rape.
A couple sites online mention Magno and his pedophilia; this one has a victim's story: "But he found out through the MHS (Maynard High School) grapevine. He approached me in the studio and threatened to call my parents. He continued to yell and said ” If you want to masterbate (sic), drink or whatever, you do it with me and no one else”
>>evidence of 14 men who say they were also abused by Magno
yikes...
LOL!
A mere 2,738 responses have been posted to this blog article about Magno and his "alleged" crimes:
http://www.kensavage.com/index.php/archives/maynards-joseph-magno-arrested-for-raping-male-student/#comments
from the website of the high school radio station he helped
found and advised:
"My major objective with WAVM," Magno once said, "has been to build a school within a school where the students get the opportunity to learn a lot of life skills." On one hand, Magno was teaching the technical aspects of communications, but even more importantly the students were learning respect, honesty and responsibility among other character lessons. The program was more than just a place for the students to hang out, have fun, and broadcast, WAVM was intent on building character."
Looks like he was teaching some of the boys some other
life skills too...ewww...
What parent isn’t a little suspicious of a teacher who buys their kid a car?
If your kid lies and tells you they bought the car themselves who doesn’t ask their kid how they managed to do it?
Are parents today this stupid?
I can’t believe this guy got away with this for so long.
After hearing "Your boy is just like a son to me" for several years they might indeed see nothing suspicious in him buying the boy a car. After all, isn't that what fathers do for their sons?
Well I am a guy and have never been a single mother so obviously my judgment in the mater is suspect.
Small gifts might slide by me (things costing no more than a couple of bucks).
But alarm bells had better go off when some teacher (who is probably unmarried or long divorced) starts giving gifts to a teenage boy that cost hundreds of dollars.
After all the most a teacher makes is what $60,000 maybe $70 if they do a lot of extra curricular activities.
It's sad. I used to live in Maynard and WAVM was a source of local pride for a blue collar town in the midst of snooty suburban towns (like Sudbury, where that kid was killed Friday).
And actually teachers make a lot more then you think. $69,000 is the average salary for that area and if he had been a teacher for 40 years it could go higher.
I read the headline that way as well.
Before word about the sexual assault charges came out, Magno was in the news because two organizations wanted to basically knock WAVM off the air--UMass's WUMB and a religious broadcaster named Living Proof. While WAVM did have little
"wattage" and limited broadcast hours, it did do everything
from broadcasting church services to doing fundraising drives
for charity, etc.
So it was a David and Goliath battle but eventually a deal
would be made where UMass would help WAVM put a stronger signal on the air, and WUMB would re-broasdcast the UMass
station what it wasn't on the air with its own programming,
and the religious outfit would get on the air but with a signal pointed away from Maynard so that WAVM could stay on.
Magno was seen as a hero, not just for his continued work at the station, but for these efforts, etc.
Then the news came about the sex assault charge on a teen--
and over a dozen other former students came forth with
similar accusations...And, as I said, I noticed online last night a couple sites where victims of Magno and other
pedophiles discussed how they could put sickos like him
in jail, etc. Now Magno dies days before his trial is due
to start.
Just saw a report on Ch 7 about this. His attorney, Don Demayo, said that the past year was too much on Magno's
health (diabetes/heart disease)--implying that all the pressure about these accusations helped to speed his
demise. Demayo claims that Magno is innocent but his death
has denied him the chance to clear his name in court.
The Maynard police chief, a former student of Magno himself,
says that the court case was focusing on one person's
charge (of being raped by Magno over a period of three
years) but again, others have claimed to have been molested
by him as well. Now Magno's legal team hopes to appear
in court later this week in an effort to have the
charges dropped, since their client has died...
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