For Immediate Release
Contact: Julia Keane 508-368-7226 or 774-530-1207
WORCESTER — Yesterday, a Worcester County Superior Court jury found Leroy L. Thompson, Jr., age 30, of Worcester, guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of a man in the early morning hours of July 5, 2020, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr. Mr. Thompson was also convicted of reckless endangerment of a child.
On July 6, 2020, Joshua Lopez, 24, of Worcester, died after being shot the day before while sitting in the backseat of a vehicle in the area of Almont Avenue in Worcester. A minor child was also in the car at the time of the shooting.
“I want to thank the Worcester Police Department, Assistant District Attorneys Timothy Westerman and George Somi, and Victim Witness Advocate Margaret Rwaramba, for an excellent job on this case,” Mr. Early said. “I also want to thank the jury for their work in reaching this verdict.”
“I want to thank the men and women of the Worcester Police Department for their steadfast commitment to all victims in order to get closure for their families,” said Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier. “The WPD also values our partnership with District Attorney Joseph Early Jr and his staff of talented prosecutors whom also demand closure for the loved ones of heinous crime victims.”
Thompson will be sentenced by Worcester Superior Court Judge Valerie Yarashus on September 24, 2025.