District Attorney Rachael Rollins Statement Regarding Sean Ellis Ruling

BOSTON, May 4, 2020 — “Today marks the end of a long and troubling chapter in Boston’s history. A tragedy on September 26, 1993 has inextricably tied two families together. The murder of Boston Police Detective John James Mulligan reverberated around our city and over the last few decades this case has had a complicated history.  Corruption and deceit were exposed, as were complicity and willful indifference to constitutionally mandated protections. Through it all, the Mulligan family suffered. They asked for none of this. They knew and loved John, not as a BPD Detective, but as a brother, uncle, father, and son. Today brings no solace for them. Instead, it exposes old wounds that will now require even more time to heal. 

“The Ellis family has suffered in this process as well. Although their loved one is alive, he lost 22 years of his life.  As Judge Robert Ullman found today, ‘Justice was not done’ in this case.

“We need to continue to work together as law enforcement partners to make sure the criminal and unconstitutional behavior that infected every part of the investigation into Detective Mulligan’s death, can never happen again.  I am committed to doing just that. Filing a nolle prosequi is part of that commitment.”

Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 25,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.