Kumari Shreya
While watching HBO’s ‘Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning,’ the various layers associated with the murder case of Carol Stuart is something one cannot help but wish to know more about. From the widespread effect that incident had on the city of Boston, Massachusetts, to the inner dynamics of the Stuart family, there are a variety of elements that made the case a crucial piece of the city’s history. One of the most significant people who helped reveal the truth of the case is none other than Matthew “Matt” Stuart, brother to Carol’s husband Charles “Chuck” Stuart. Given how prominently he has been discussed in the show, Matt has become someone the viewers cannot help but be invested in.
Who is Matt Stuart?
Matt Stuart was the youngest of the Stuart brothers, and Chuck Stuart was apparently considered the ideal that the former was supposed to follow. Before September 1989, Matt and Chuck had apparently not been in communication for about a year and a half. However, in light of their mother’s poor health, Chuck apparently tried to re-establish his connection with Matt, which the younger Stuart was amenable to.
During the same conversation that Chuck was seemingly attempting to reconnect with his brother, he had allegedly asked Matt to do him a favor. As per the older brother’s request, the younger one had to drive up to him on a particular day and take care to dispose of a bag that Chuck would throw at him. According to Matt’s statement, Chuck had actually shown him exactly where the “pick-up” was supposed to take place on October 22, 1989.
On October 23, 1989, Matt claimed that he did reach the designated location and was handed a bag by his brother. Apparently, he did see a pile of something in his brother’s car but did not know what it was. After returning home, Matt allegedly opened the bag and saw that there was a gun in there, among other things, including Carol Stuart’s wedding ring and identification. Apparently, he had assumed that his brother was trying to stage a robbery in order to commit insurance fraud. Given the $5,000 that he had been promised, Matt decided that he could live with Chuck’s reluctance to share information.
Matt Stuart Has Passed Away
Having used a friend’s car for the task he was assigned by Chuck Stuart, Matt Stuart apparently decided to return the vehicle. However, when he came back, he learned that Chuck and Carol Stuart had allegedly been shot by a black man. Knowing that it was certainly not how things had gone down, Matt confessed that he had initially assumed that Carol had fallen victim to some of his brother’s enemies. He allegedly then sought the help of his friend, John McMahon, to check the gun that was in Chuck’s bag. According to Matt, he then learned that the gun had been fired three times, which prompted him and his friend to dump the contents in the bag into a river.
However, on January 3, 1990, Matt Stuart decided to go to the authorities himself and tell everything. Prior to this, he had not been entirely quiet about the situation, and many people who know the Stuart family had some inkling of what Matt had told the police. The day after Matt went to the authorities, Chuck jumped off a bridge into the Mystic River, ending his own life. Due to his involvement in the case, Matt did have to face legal consequences. Matt was indicted in 1991 on charges of obstruction of justice and insurance fraud. He was not charged with the murder of Carol Stuart and ended up pleading guilty to both of the crimes that he was accused of in November 1992.
As such, Matt received a three to five-year sentence in prison and was released on parole in 1995. However, he was arrested once again in May 1997 on drug trafficking charges. Given that he was still on probation, he was sent back to prison. Not long afterward, the latest charges against him were dropped, and he was once again a free man. However, on September 3, 2011, at about 2 AM, Matt was found dead in Heading Home, a shelter for people struggling with addiction in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His death was stated to have been caused by drug overdose and alcohol poisoning.
Read More: Bill Dunn: Where is the Former Boston Police Detective Now?
