Charlestown Houseboat Murder Trial Delayed Again Amid Mental Health Fight

The murder trial of a woman accused of stabbing a 65-year-old Boston lawyer 67 times aboard his Charlestown houseboat, then trying to conceal his body with duct tape and dumbbells, has been delayed for a second time. Nora Nelson's jury trial, once set to begin June 1, is now slated to start Jan. 25, 2027, as court filings reveal new details about the killing of Joseph Donohue and the mental health disputes stalling her prosecution.

Donohue, described by his family as a wonderful family member, cherished friend and trusted colleague, was found dead on Feb. 2, 2025, after his children had not heard from him for two days, according to MassLive. His son-in-law called 911 at 10:38 p.m. that night requesting a well-being check, and Donohue's son encountered Nelson at the houseboat around 9:45 p.m. the same evening. Nelson had reportedly told him Donohue had gone to the store, before later changing her story to say he was at the Golden Banana Gentlemen's Club in Peabody.

When police arrived at the vessel, docked at Pier 6 / 2 Shipway Place in the Charlestown Marina, according to a Boston Police Department release, Nelson gave officers two fake names, at one point identifying herself as “Casey,” and claimed Donohue was out at a strip club while she was seen through a curtain moving items around inside. As reported by CBS News, officers ultimately discovered Donohue's body on the houseboat's patio, wrapped in a white and blue covering secured with duct tape, with dumbbells attached to it using a jump rope.

Forensic Evidence and a Missing Dog

Prosecutors say Donohue was found with 67 stab wounds, and investigators recovered a fragment of a broken knife from his forehead during the autopsy, a fragment that was later matched to a knife recovered from the water beside the houseboat by a dive team. Nelson herself identified two pink fake fingernails found in Donohue's body as her own, according to the same MassLive report. Police also found bloodstains and cleaning supplies scattered throughout the houseboat, along with a significant amount of blood on a sheet hung over a doorway.

The case also includes a second victim: Donohue's golden retriever, Champ, who prosecutors say was found strangled to death in the water next to the houseboat. A necropsy determined the dog died from asphyxiation by strangulation before being thrown into the harbor, according to Boston 25 News. A Suffolk Superior Court grand jury formally indicted Nelson on May 28, 2025, on charges of first-degree murder, malicious killing of a domestic animal, and animal cruelty.

A Relationship Described as Tumultuous

Nelson and Donohue met in 2023 at the Charlestown Marina and, per defense attorney Ian Davis, had a longstanding intimate partner relationship. Nelson, who also goes by the nickname “Andi,” stayed off and on at the houseboat, kept personal belongings there, and had ordered DoorDash to the vessel. Prosecutors describe the relationship as at times tumultuous.

Nelson's childhood best friend from Memphis, Tennessee, Aliyah Warren, said Nelson appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis roughly six months before Donohue was killed, per the MassLive report. That account adds to a documented history of legal trouble: Nelson was previously arrested in September 2023 for allegedly assaulting a 63-year-old ex-boyfriend who claimed she owed him $300,000, and a separate Boston man in his 60s told police Nelson threatened his life that November. She was also sued in January 2024 over an alleged $2.6 million Boston condo contract breach, according to CBS News.

Why the Trial Keeps Getting Pushed Back

Nelson was initially taken into custody at the scene on unrelated domestic violence warrants, held on $7,500 cash bail after prosecutors had requested $100,000 due to a prior failure to appear in court, according to the Boston Herald. Boston Police formally obtained the murder arrest warrant days later, on Feb. 6, 2025.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office has identified a mental health component to the case as the primary cause of the repeated delays. At an April 2026 hearing, evaluator Heather Jackson said she could not determine whether Nelson's condition resulted from mental illness, a personality disorder, or another exterior motivation, and said Nelson lacks understanding of the seriousness of the charges against her. Jackson also said Nelson's symptoms became less genuine over time and that she tended to exaggerate them. Nelson was given medication after potential symptoms of a psychotic disorder were identified, per the MassLive account.

Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 123, Section 15, state courts must order forensic psychiatric evaluations to determine whether a defendant is competent to consult with counsel and understand court proceedings, a process that can repeatedly stay trial schedules when clinical findings are inconclusive or contested, according to the Massachusetts General Court. That framework has now pushed Nelson's trial from its original June 1 date, to Sept. 21, and finally to Jan. 25, 2027. First-degree murder in Massachusetts carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole. Donohue's family has requested privacy since his death was identified, while Nelson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.