Suspects held in Walpole murder

The two men accused of teaming up to murder, dismember and dispose of their victim will be kept behind bars until at least Sept. 11, when they are due to be back in court for a probable cause hearing, a judge decided on Thursday.

Judge Emogene Johnson-Smith again granted a prosecutor's request to continue the Wrentham District Court hearings of Daniel Bradley, 47, of Westwood, and Paul Moccia, 49, of Dedham, despite the strong objections of their lawyers, who argued that their clients have been held without bail for more than two months during the delays.

Bradley and Moccia are charged with first-degree murder in the death of Angel Antonio Ramirez, a 37-year-old Guatemalan immigrant from Framingham. They have pleaded not guilty.

Assistant District Attorney Robert Nelson has said the murder took place on the night of March 20, when Moccia shot Ramirez in the back with a .357 Magnum and that Bradley, Moccia's friend, disposed of the body inside his family's Walpole concrete business, R.J. Bradley and Co.

Nelson said Moccia was a cocaine dealer who owed more than $70,000 to Ramirez, who was his supplier. Knowing there was no way he would be able to pay the money back, Moccia hatched the plan to kill Ramirez, Nelson said.

Moccia yesterday entered the courtroom first, dressed in a bright blue golf shirt and black pants. Bradley followed 30 seconds later, wearing a dark suit with a blue dress shirt.

The men were arrested June 5, arraigned June 8 and returned to the court July 7 for their pretrial hearings. Johnson-Smith agreed to Nelson's request then to delay those pretrial hearings until yesterday.

Nelson said the case is being presented to a grand jury, and he is waiting for that group to make its ruling.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington said Bradley has been in jail too long without a probable cause hearing, at which the prosecutor would present evidence against the two accused men.

"It's readily apparent that what's going on here is the D.A.'s office is intentionally circumventing the defendant's right to a probable cause hearing," argued Reddington. "You can't have someone languishing in jail, literally, month after month."

Reviewing the timeline of the case, Reddington said, "Here we are, in the middle of August," where the prosecution is saying "we're waiting on the grand jurors for a vote."

Noting that Bradley is well-known in his community and has been in jail since June, Reddington asked Johnson-Smith to consider going forward with a probable cause hearing. Failing that, he asked her to reconsider bail.

Steven Boozang, Moccia's attorney, also said the case has dragged on too long.

"The alleged victim went missing back on March 20. Seventy-seven days later, these gentlemen were arrested," and have spent the subsequent 69 days in jail, he said.

"Here we are now, your honor, 146 days later, and they're asking for a continuance. I take umbrage with that, your honor," Boozang said.

After the judge made clear that she would, nevertheless, continue the two defendants' hearings, Reddington asked that a probable cause hearing for Bradley be held on Sept. 11. The judge ordered Bradley and Moccia to reappear in court on that date for probable cause hearings, with both continuing to be held without bail at the Norfolk County House of Correction.

"If there's no indictment, there will be a probable cause hearing" Sept. 11, Johnson-Smith said.

If an indictment is handed down before then, the case would be dismissed in Wrentham and restart in Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham.

"Although it was expected, I'm somewhat disappointed in the system," Reddington said outside the courthouse. "It's just not right. The case should have gone forward today."

Daily News staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.