On the morning of July 23, 1973, Patrolman John W. Ruggiero, 27, of the Fall River Police Department was killed while on duty. Officers say he was following a black Cadillac on Pleasant Street because its headlights were off; the car turned into a parking lot on Boutwell Street. Two men got out, and one fired five to six shots at close range into Ruggiero’s cruiser. He died from the wounds, leaving a wife and two children. Ruggiero had been appointed to the force on May 8, 1971.

Police identified two suspects, Daniel K. Ferreira, 26, and Joseph Silva, 34; both were taken into custody and later convicted for their roles in the killing. Did anyone who lived in or near the Boutwell Street area that night see the black Cadillac or either of the men involved?