A 54-year-old man from Freetown, Massachusetts, was arrested on murder charges on Wednesday after his longtime girlfriend’s dead body was found in their home, according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn.

Freetown police were called to 92 Chace Rd. in East Freetown at 4:24 a.m. on Wednesday. First responders arrived and found Heidi Chace, a resident who was 44 years old, dead. Matthew Lucas was later recognized as the suspect in the investigation.

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Who is Matthew Lucas?

Matthew Lucas is 54 years old. According to the prosecution, Lucas fatally beat Chace with a hammer at their shared home. On Wednesday morning, a neighbor living on the other half of the duplex found Chace’s dead body.

Authorities discovered Lucas in a shed at his brother’s house on neighboring Burns Lane around 8:40 a.m.

Lucas was held without bail after being arraigned in Fall River District Court, and bail from a previous case was also withdrawn. In a recent case, Lucas was supposed to go on trial but did not show up. He was consequently admitted to a mental health center but later released.

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After a history of disobedience, suspected drug use, and involvement in a horrible death, Quinn said, “It’s unsettling that he’s back on the streets.”

According to Lucas’s defense attorney, he struggles with schizophrenia, and drug and alcohol addiction. After the court proceedings, his daughter told the media that although she was aware of his turbulent past, she never anticipated he would carry out such a brutal deed.

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The prosecution claimed that Lucas struck Chace at their shared home with a hammer. A neighbor in the other half of the duplex found Chace’s lifeless body on Wednesday morning. Around 8:40 a.m., police discovered Lucas in a shed at his brother’s house on neighboring Burns Lane.