North Dartmouth man sentenced for fatal 2023 stabbing of estranged girlfriend

BOSTON, March 9, 2026 – A North Dartmouth man charged with the fatal 2023 stabbing of 59-year-old Margarita Morehead in her Chelsea apartment was sentenced today after pleading guilty to second-degree murder last month, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

Judge Joshua Wall sentenced ANGEL ALVAREZ, 68, to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 17 years. Alvarez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in violation of a protection order on February 11.

Alvarez dated Margarita Morehead for several years and lived off and on in her Chelsea apartment. Throughout their relationship, Alvarez exhibited jealousy and hostility toward Morehead and frequently accused her of infidelity. In October 2022, Morehead obtained a restraining order against Alvarez that prohibited him from contacting her. The order was in effect at the time of her murder. 

Despite the order, Morehead and Alvarez remained in contact. On the morning of May 8, 2023, Alvarez was in Morehead’s apartment when they began arguing over her attempts to end their relationship. Alvarez punched Morehead twice in the face and became enraged when she said that her daughter, expected to visit later that morning, would see her injuries. Alvarez then grabbed a large kitchen knife and stabbed Morehead multiple times in the chest. Alvarez cut two of his own fingers during the attack. Alvarez fled the apartment, leaving Morehead to bleed to death on the floor.

A neighbor heard Morehead screaming and saw Alvarez leave the apartment, leaving a trail of blood behind him. The neighbor did not call police but instead went twice during the next 40 minutes to Morehead’s apartment door, where he heard breathing that became increasingly faint. Finally, the neighbor’s partner contacted a local domestic violence hotline. The hotline operators called Chelsea Police.

Offices arrived and found Morehead unresponsive, with multiple stab wounds to her chest and back and a kitchen knife next to her body. Police obtained security video that showed Alvarez leaving the building and driving away in a red sedan with a mismatched hood. Investigators found the car abandoned nearby, with bloodstains inside and out.

Morehead was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Throughout the day, Alvarez made efforts to evade police and dispose of evidence, including his bloody clothing and a cellphone. Video from Target in Everett showed Alvarez purchasing new clothing and changing into it before leaving the store. In phone calls throughout the day, Alvarez told others that he had stabbed Morehead and that he was contemplating self-harm.

Alvarez called police later that evening to turn himself in.

During today’s sentencing, Morehead, a mother of four, was described as “a pillar of her community.” One of her sons said, “beyond our family, this crime has deeply affected friends, neighbors, and the broader community who knew and respected Margarita.”

The son continued: “Our mother, Margarita, was not defined by the way her life ended, but by the way she lived, by the love she gave to family, the guidance she offered to others, and the quiet strength she carried every day.”

Morehead’s daughter said “domestic violence didn’t just take my mother’s life. It took a grandmother from my son, a parent from me, and a piece of our family that can never be replaced.”

Morehead’s son’s partner described Alvarez as a “monster” and said “the defendant is a perfect example of a monster, one who the victim Margarita Morehead loved, cared for, supported.”

“The statements in court today gave full expression to the great love Margarita Morehead had for her children and the great love they had for her. We’ll never know if Margarita’s life could have been saved if the neighbors had acted more quickly, but it’s clear that no one should wait to contact police if they have any reason to think that someone is a victim of violence,” Hayden said. 

The victims of any crime, including domestic or sexual violence, should call 911 in an emergency.  SafeLink, a statewide DV hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020.  SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24/7 in English, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601.  It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages. RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country, can be reached at 800-656-4673.

Help is also available for members of our LGBTQ+ community experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence through The Network/La Red by calling 617-742-4911 or 800-832-1901. 

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Our office handles more than 20,000 cases a year. Nearly 160 assistant district attorneys practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Boston and Chelsea Juvenile Courts and the Supreme Judicial Court. Our office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs for anyone encountering the criminal justice system. We are committed to educating the public about our mission and services while focusing on crime prevention to keep the residents, workers and visitors of Suffolk County safe.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications