Man convicted in Berkshire County triple murder denied appeal
by: Tony Fay WWLP April 1, 2025
https://www.wwlp.com/news/crime/man-convicted-in-berkshire-county-triple-murder-denied-appeal/
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A federal court has denied a request by one of three men convicted in a Berkshire County triple murder to have his conviction overturned.
David Chalue was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder, kidnapping and witness intimidation in the 2011 killings of David Glasser, Edward Frampton, and Robert Chadwell. Chalue filed a petition with the federal court saying that his 6th Amendment rights were violated during his trial in 2014.
The federal court disagreed, finding error in a judge’s jury instructions but saying that didn’t affect the outcome of the case. The information from the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office states Chalue filed a request based on the following:
The trial judge gave an erroneous instruction to a lone juror and then to the rest of the jurors concerning the reaching of a unanimous verdict.
The United States District Court found that, while this instruction was erroneous, there was not proof that the instructions altered the final guilty verdict. This decision was based on the fact the jury continued to deliberate for a lengthy period following the judge’s erroneous instruction to the lone juror.
The trial judge repeatedly allowed the admission of irrelevant and prejudicial bad-act evidence.
The United States District Court found this challenge to be unfounded. While a photo of a weapon that was not used in the murder was admitted, the Court found that said photo had no effect on the outcome of the trial.
The prosecutor made several misstatements of evidence, inferences, and emotional appeals in his opening statement and summation.
The Court found this challenge to be unfounded.
The District Court also declined to issue a Certificate Of Appealability, blocking any further federal appeal of his claims. Chalue is serving three consecutive life sentences for the murders.
Two other men, Adam Lee Hall and Caius Veiovis, are also serving consecutive life sentences. The Supreme Judicial Court had earlier denied the appeals of Hall and Veiovis.
Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue praised the decision, noting that “these three defendants each received a fair trial and were properly sentenced for crimes that are assuredly among the worst ever committed in Berkshire County.” Shugrue added, “A great team of investigators mounted the single largest investigation in the history of Berkshire County that enabled District Attorney Capeless and his team of prosecutors to present the damning evidence that convinced three juries to return the proper verdicts. An equal effort over the past ten-plus years has been expended to maintain those verdicts, and all involved should have the grateful thanks of Berkshire County’s citizens.”
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