Jury finds Central Falls man guilty of murder

Jury finds Central Falls man guilty of murder

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that a Central Falls man has been found guilty by a jury in Providence County Superior Court of the 2014 murder of 38-year-old Robert Bullard in Providence.

On February 21, 2024, following the conclusion of a five-day jury trial before Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause, the jury found Malcolm Querido (age 36) guilty of one count of second-degree murder.

The defendant is currently being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI).

“It is always a tragedy when someone is murdered, but it’s easy to forget the impact that reverberates out from a single death,” said Attorney General Neronha. “In a moment’s decision, this defendant hastily killed another man over a petty dispute, leaving the victim’s loved ones behind to suffer. He will now finally face the consequences of his crime. I am grateful to the Providence Police Department for their hard work and collaboration in this case.”

During the trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant murdered Robert Bullard, stabbing him to death after a dispute between the victim and a woman.

On September 7, 2014, the victim arranged to with a female at an Allston Street apartment in Providence, which she shared with the defendant. An argument ensued and the woman began to yell at which point the defendant burst into the room and stabbed the victim to death. The woman called 911 and the defendant fled the scene. First responders transported the victim to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

“Accountability for those who commit violent crime is paramount to maintaining public safety,” said Providence Police Colonel Oscar L. Perez. “I am thankful for the hard work of our officers and investigators, as well as the Office of the Attorney General, for their investigation and prosecution of this case.”

Assistant Attorney General Eric Batista and Special Assistant Attorney General Alison Bittl of the Office of the Attorney General and Detective Robert Washburn (retired), Detective Bill Mattera, and BCI Detective Doug Allin (retired) of the Providence Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case.