A Massachusetts man is facing a murder charge after allegedly stabbing his mother’s boyfriend 17 times and dousing him with lighter fluid during a heated argument over dinner.
Andrew Horsman, 41, was arrested on Saturday night after authorities say he launched a brutal attack on 66-year-old Paul Pomerleau during a family dinner at their Middleborough home. Police said the dispute began while the family was cooking steaks.
According to investigators, Horsman confronted Pomerleau in the kitchen, stabbed him repeatedly, and then covered him in lighter fluid before a family member managed to intervene. Horsman then fled the scene but was arrested nearby shortly afterward.
Emergency responders found Pomerleau on the floor with multiple stab wounds. He was rushed to Morton Hospital, where he died less than an hour later.
Assistant District Attorney Nicole Piacentini described the injuries in court: “He had 10 stab wounds to the torso, two in his right arm, and five in his back.”
Police recovered a knife and a container of lighter fluid at the scene.
History of Conflict
Prosecutors said tensions had existed between Horsman and Pomerleau prior to the deadly incident. Pomerleau reportedly disapproved of Horsman moving back in with his mother, leading to repeated clashes between the two men.
Pomerleau had been in a long-term relationship with Horsman’s mother and had even helped raise him, according to the victim’s twin brother, Peter Pomerleau.
“He took in Andy, who was not his child,” Peter said tearfully outside the courtroom. “I’m really going to miss him.”
Legal Defense Cites Alleged Abuse
At Horsman’s arraignment, his attorney, Joshua Wood, entered a not-guilty plea and claimed that the incident was not a random act of violence.
“There’s a long, complicated history here,” Wood told reporters. “My client suffered years of domestic abuse, and when the full story is told, it will show that this was a breaking point—not a senseless attack.”
He added that the household dynamic was “not always peaceful” and emphasized that the men knew each other for years.
Authorities Respond
Middleborough police said they received several 911 calls just after 8 p.m. reporting a stabbing at the home on Fairview Street. Pomerleau was pronounced dead at 8:52 p.m., and Horsman was taken into custody nearby without incident.
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz called the case “tragic” and acknowledged that multiple family members were present at the time of the attack.
Horsman is currently being held without bail and is due back in court on July 28. The investigation remains ongoing.
