Boston Police have ruled the death of 18-year-old Yoseliani Ann Marte Ocasio a homicide after she was found shot inside a rental property owned by the husband of U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley, with no arrests made and the investigation still active.
Boston Police have formally identified Yoseliani Ann Marte Ocasio, 18, of Boston, as the young woman found shot dead inside a rental property in the city’s Mattapan neighbourhood. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed on Thursday that she died from a single gunshot wound and classified her death as a homicide. The property where she was found is owned by the husband of Representative Ayanna Pressley, though officials have not suggested any connection between the killing and either Pressley or her husband. No arrests have yet been made.
How Ocasio was found
Officers were called to 25 Malta Road at 1:52pm on Saturday, 18 July, where they discovered Ocasio’s body in a rear bedroom of the property. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later confirmed the cause of death as a single gunshot wound, formally ruling the case a homicide on Thursday. The property, operated as a rental, is owned by the husband of Rep. Ayanna Pressley, though authorities have stressed there is no suggestion either he or the congresswoman had any involvement in what happened.
Her mother speaks out
Speaking to Boston 25 News on 20 July, Ocasio’s mother, Elenie Ocasio, said she was convinced her daughter had been killed, stressing that the teenager was not suicidal. Describing her anguish, she told the station simply, “This coward killed my baby.” She went on to say that she believed a gun had been used against her daughter inside the property and that she had been left there afterwards, insisting that the truth would ultimately emerge and that her daughter had not deserved what happened to her.
Relatives have described Ocasio as a recent high school graduate who had plans for her future, and family members have said they are committed to pursuing justice on her behalf.
Where the investigation stands
The case remains in the hands of the Boston Police Department’s Homicide Unit, which continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ocasio’s death. Officials have not named any suspects, nor have they said publicly whether they believe the shooting was targeted or whether anyone else was present in the property at the time. Police have also not disclosed how long Ocasio may have been inside the house before she was found, or whether emergency services were contacted immediately after the shooting occurred. It has not been confirmed whether a firearm was recovered from the scene.
Crime scene investigators spent several hours at the property gathering forensic material, photographic evidence and ballistic evidence to help establish what took place. Detectives are also examining surveillance footage from surrounding homes and businesses, alongside phone and other digital records, as part of the wider inquiry. Very little detail has been released publicly while the investigation remains active.
What happens next
Boston Police have appealed to the public for anyone with information about the circumstances leading up to the shooting to come forward. Detectives say they will continue interviewing witnesses and reviewing forensic evidence before any decisions are made on potential charges, and the case remains classified as an open homicide investigation.
