A Holyoke man has been found guilty in a Connecticut River killing that gripped the city for years. On Tuesday, a jury convicted 24-year-old Elijah Melendez of first-degree murder in the 2022 killing of Elis Vizcarrondo, whose body was recovered from the Connecticut River. Jurors also found Melendez guilty of possessing a firearm without a license and possessing ammunition without a license. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday in Hampden Superior Court.
Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni announced the verdict and said prosecutors laid out a case that Melendez and others carried out the killing, then tried to hide it. Investigators said Vizcarrondo was shot in the back of the head and through the right eye, and that witness statements, extensive video canvassing and multiple search warrants ultimately led them to 131 Clemente Street, where officers determined the homicide occurred, according to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office.
The investigation pulled in multiple agencies, including the Massachusetts State Police detective unit assigned to the Hampden DA’s office, working alongside the Holyoke and Chicopee police departments. One of the other people identified in the case, William Bell, was charged but later died in custody at the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction in April 2025. Authorities subsequently charged Miguel Morales as an accessory after the fact, as reported by Western Mass News.
The case first grabbed local headlines in July 2022, when officers discovered Vizcarrondo’s body in the Connecticut River near Catherine Street. At the time, investigators said they had probable cause to believe the killing occurred at a nearby residence on Clemente Street, a location that would remain central to the yearslong probe. Early coverage of Melendez’s arrest and arraignment offers additional background on how the investigation unfolded, per the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
What the law allows
Under Massachusetts law, a conviction for murder in the first degree can carry a life sentence without the possibility of parole for adult offenders. Court decisions and legislative changes have shaped parole eligibility in particular situations, and legal summaries note that sentencing rules for juveniles and so-called emerging adults do not always match the adult framework, which means outcomes can differ based on age and other factors, according to FindLaw.
Gulluni said on Facebook that “this case was built piece by piece through careful investigative work. That work led to today’s conviction,” and he publicly thanked investigators and the prosecution team. His post tracks with the narrative laid out in the official release and directs readers to that document for a fuller breakdown of the case.
What’s next
Melendez is scheduled to return to Hampden Superior Court on Friday for formal sentencing, where prosecutors say they will ask for a penalty that reflects the seriousness of the convictions. The Commonwealth was represented at trial by Assistant District Attorneys Michael Cashman, Kelsey Baran and Michael Locke, along with Victim Witness Advocate Stacy Martel, according to Western Mass News.
