'Be his alibi': Witness describes drug binge before 2021 convenience store killing

FALL RIVER — Fifteen jurors saw images of a disturbing scene caught on surveillance video inside the Stop N Save convenience store on Rock Street in 2021, and heard a witness' testimony that the defendant was involved in fatally shooting the owner, as the murder trial of Nelson Coelho began last week.

The images showed 54-year-old owner Lal Kishor Mahaseth being gunned down during a robbery by a man disguised head to toe in black.

Mahaseth would be hit by a single fatal bullet to the chest when he attempted to fend off the robber by throwing a desk chair over the store’s counter. He was found by a customer more than an hour later.

Coelho, 39, is on trial for Mahaseth’s murder, which occurred inside Mahaseth's store on Oct. 18, 2021. Coelho is also charged with possession of an illegal firearm and armed robbery, which prosecutors say he committed at another convenience store on Durfee Street the night before Mahaseth was fatally shot with a bullet to his heart.

Coelho has been held on bail since his arrest a week after the murder.

Closing arguments are set for today. As is his legal right, Coelho did not take the stand to testify.

Jury sees images from security camera

On Wednesday, the first day of the trial in Bristol County Superior Court, Maheseth’s three grown children and four other family members stepped out of the room briefly as Assistant District Attorney Dennis Collins, chief of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III’s homicide unit, and Assistant District Attorney Patrick Driscoll played videos capturing the murder from the different angles from the seven surveillance cameras installed inside and outside the convenience store.

Superior Court Judge Rafi Yessayan warned the jurors of the video's graphic nature, but said that shouldn’t influence their verdict. In one video, the shooter is seen walking past the front door. Another shows him entering. Other camera angles show the shooter, who prosecutors allege is Coelho, pointing a gun in his left hand directly at Maheseth’s chest.

Another shows an injured Maheseth crumple to the ground.

Other still images presented at the beginning of the trial show several $5 bills littering the floor near the cash register.

Coelho, who prosecutors said was homeless at the time of the murder and on a crack cocaine bender with friends, is also on trial for robbing the 7 Days Food Mart at 182 Durfee St., less than 24 hours before Mahaseth, who owned a second Stop N Save on Locust Street, was shot to death.

Witness testifies to drug-fueled robbery

Meredith Silvia testified on Thursday that she, Coelho and friend Samuel “Junior” Lozano smoked crack on Oct. 17, 2021, at a condemned multi-family home on 251 Pine St., where Coelho was living in a second-floor hallway.

“After they consumed the crack, yes, they were getting antsy and wanted to get some more,” Silvia told Driscoll.

Silvia testified that Coelho then changed his clothes.

“Nelson puts on some dark-colored clothing, he covers up the tattoos on his hand and he also covers his head so you can only see his eyes,” said Silvia, testifying that Coelho used a black T-shirt to cover his head and wore an across-the-body backpack.

Silvia said Coelho covered the tattoo with a black Sharpie marker. Later, on cross-examination, defense attorney Dana Sargent referenced statements Silvia made to law enforcement that Coelho used a ball-point pen to hide the tattoo.

Lozano gave Coelho a gun, she said, and the two men drove away in Lozano’s Volvo SUV. She said they returned within “minutes” and began counting money, which they used to buy “an eight-ball" of crack cocaine. After splitting the drugs, Silvia testified, she and Coelho became “romantic” and smoked crack cocaine into the early hours on Oct. 18.

The day of the killing

Collins alleged that on Oct. 18, 2021, when Maheseth had kept his store opened after its 9 p.m. closing, Coelho entered the business at 9:16 p.m. He said Coelho had been pacing outside, dressed in black, with a black mask and a black shoulder bag over his chest.

He alleged that Coelho pointed the gun at Mahaseth's chest, but the magazine clip fell from the gun to the ground. In the confusion as Coelho picked it up, he said, Mahaseth threw a chair at him.

“The defendant moved out of the way, went back in front of the counter, pointed the gun over the counter at Mr. Maheseth’s chest and fired one shot, struck Mr. Maheseth’s heart and killed him,” said Collins.

“He didn’t take any money. He fled from the store, went out around the corner and went east on Pine Street,” said Collins.

Witness: Coelho admitted to murder, asked for an alibi

Silvia testified that she returned to the Pine Street apartment building later that night. She said she noticed on her way the Rock Street convenience store had a large police presence and crime scene tape was wrapped around the building.

“Something serious happened there, I could tell,” said Silvia.

When she got to Pine Street, she noticed that Coelho and Lozano “were acting strange and seemed like they were in bad moods.”

The pair, said Silvia, had discussed the convenience store murder both at her home and in her car.

“And what is that conversation with him?” asked Driscoll.

“He asked me to be his alibi,” said Silvia.

Silvia said Coelho told her that “they were involved” in the shooting.

“He said that they were trying to get money from the gentleman who worked behind the counter and that the gun accidentally went off,” said Silvia.

Defense warns jury: Listen to evidence without prejudice

Mahaseth was remembered as a kind man by Rock Street neighbors and customers. After his killing, his body was flown back to his homeland in Nepal for a traditional Hindu ceremony.

Defense attorney Dana Sargent in his opening statement asked the jury to listen “to all of the evidence without drawing any conclusions.”

“Because each piece of evidence, whether they are asked by the commonwealth or they are asked by myself, are equally as important to look at the entire picture,” said Sargent. “Then you use your life experiences, your common sense. Your sensibilities of what makes sense and what doesn’t.”

The defense is not expected to call any witnesses before resting its case.

Final day of testimony

On Friday, the third day of trial, the jurors were taken to the crime scenes before another day of testimony at the courthouse.

Mary Jo Duncan, who lived on the first floor of the Pine Street apartment building, testified she was a drug user and she had often used crack cocaine with Lozano and Coelho. Lozano, she said, took money she made from prostitution, kept the money and provide her with drugs.

"He'd be in control of the money," said Duncan.

She said a few days after Oct. 18, Lazlo, who she described as "aggravated" told her to get rid of sneakers. The same sneakers seen in the BOLO released after the murder.

Massachusetts State Police Trooper Robert Twitchell took the stand and said he recovered the Nike sneakers wrapped in a plastic bag in the woods off Wilson Road after warrants were served at the Pine Street apartment and interviewed Duncan.

Prosecutors presented multiple still photos, including a photo of a man they alleged to be Coelho wearing a shirt with insignia "I will not lose."

The same shirt prosecutors said was found at the residence of Silvia, who Coelho allegedly spent a day and a half with after the Oct. 17 robbery and Oct. 18 murder.

Friday afternoon the prosecutors rested their case while the defense did not present any witnesses.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River convenience store fatal shooting trial under way