4 charged in murder, dismemberment of Cranston man

By Daniel Kittredge
Posted 4/26/16

Four men have been charged in the killing of a Cranston man missing since August 2015, and authorities say a dispute over marijuana and money is believed to have led to the crime.

Charged with …

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4 charged in murder, dismemberment of Cranston man

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Four men have been charged in the killing of a Cranston man missing since August 2015, and authorities say a dispute over marijuana and money is believed to have led to the crime.

Charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and mutilation of a dead human body are Jamie Barriera, 35, and Francisco Concepcion, 36, both of Louisiana Avenue in Warwick; Albert Barriera, 61, of Shannon Drive in Warwick; and Graig Bustillo, 39, of Adelaide Avenue in Providence.

All four were arrested, arraigned and ordered held without bail on April 21. The men pleaded not guilty, and bail hearings are set for May 5.

The men are accused of killing Kerry Mello, 36, of Cranston, who was reported missing shortly after being last seen Aug. 10, 2015.

Mello’s dismembered remains were found in different locations later that month – his torso in waters near Westport, Mass. on Aug. 19, and his legs on a Little Compton beach on Aug. 21.

According to a statement from Kilmartin and Col. Steven G. O’Donnell of the Rhode Island State Police, the investigation found that Jamie Barriera had been involved in a marijuana growing operation as a licensed caregiver. At some point during the summer of 2015, authorities say a “significant quantity of marijuana and currency was stolen from him.”

Authorities say Jamie Barriera suspected Mello – described as an associate of his – of being responsible for the theft. It is alleged that Jamie Barriera lured Mello to the home of his father, Albert Barriera, where he was killed and dismembered. Authorities say Mello’s body was then disposed of at sea using Albert Berriera’s boat.

Following Mello’s disappearance, local, state and federal authorities had searched multiple properties tied to the Berrieras.

State police in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island, along with police departments in Cranston, Warwick, Providence, Little Compton and Westport, Mass., the U.S. Coast Guard, the office of Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin, and the Bristol County, Mass., District Attorney’s office took part in the investigation of Mello’s death, which remains ongoing.

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