A Lowell man has been indicted for the murder of his mother following a brutal assault in his home last summer. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced that Michael Belous, 24, is facing murder charges in connection with the death of his mother, 51-year-old Elena Vainer, of Reading.
Belous had previously been charged with assault and battery on a household or family member and assault and battery causing serious bodily injury and has been held without bail since his first court appearance in July. It all began when Belous called 911 in the early morning hours of July 17, 2023, to report his mother had been beaten and was barely breathing inside his residence on Middlesex Street in Lowell.
According to the statement from the district attorney's office, when police and paramedics arrived, they found Vainer with severe injuries to her head, face, arm, and neck. Belous had minor injuries on his hands, which raised suspicions during the police interview.
The investigation, including a review of surveillance footage, indicated that Vainer had been visiting her son over the weekend, and at some point, a violent altercation occurred between the two. The only other person present at the home during the incident was Belous himself. An autopsy performed the next day determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma and mechanical asphyxia, leading to the upgraded charge of murder.
During the arraignment in Middlesex Superior Court, Clerk Magistrate Daniel Flaherty ordered Belous to continue to be held without bail, with the next court hearing scheduled for January 23. Assistant District Attorneys Christopher Tarrant and Yashmeen Desai are prosecuting the case, while Victim Witness Advocate Darya Matkovska is also involved.
The case is currently being investigated by the Department and the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. It is important to remember that these charges are allegations, and Belous is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
