The family of Kylee Monteiro is asking the community to pack a Fall River courtroom Wednesday to oppose a proposed plea deal for the man accused of killing the pregnant 18-year-old and burying her body on his family's property in Rehoboth. Kylee's older sister, Faith Monteiro, says a deal that could let Gregory Groom walk free on parole in just 12 years is not justice, not for Kylee and not for the baby she was carrying.
Groom is accused of killing his pregnant teenage girlfriend and burying her body on his family's land, according to WJAR. Prosecutors have said Groom admitted to killing Kylee and her unborn child, the station reports. Wednesday's pretrial conference at Fall River Superior Court comes more than a year after the pregnant 18-year-old's death.
Court records reviewed by WPRI show Groom was held without bail after pleading not guilty to murder and witness intimidation. Groom reported Monteiro missing on Aug. 7 and confirmed she was 11 weeks pregnant at the time, the station's earlier report noted. Accounts of what Groom told investigators about the stabbing have varied: one WPRI report said he described stabbing Monteiro once in the chin, once in the neck, once in the head and once in the chest, while another account from the outlet said he told police he stabbed her twice in the neck and once in the chest before she died.
Attorney's Letter Proposes 19-to-20-Year Sentence
In an Aug. 26 letter obtained by NBC 10, Groom's attorney asked Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn to allow Groom to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter with a sentence of 19 to 20 years, the same report states. The attorney also wrote in that letter that Groom has no criminal record. Massachusetts law allows a manslaughter conviction to be punished by up to 20 years in state prison, according to the Massachusetts General Laws.
Under the state's model jury instructions, a killing that would otherwise qualify as first- or second-degree murder can be reduced to voluntary manslaughter when prosecutors fail to disprove the presence of mitigating circumstances, per the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Faith Monteiro said that if the proposed deal is accepted, Groom would be eligible for parole after 12 years — a prospect she calls unacceptable.
Family Calls for Community to Show Up in Court
“If it gets accepted, he'll be eligible for parole after 12 years,” Faith Monteiro said, according to the station's report. She has asked supporters to gather at the Fall River courthouse at 9 a.m. Wednesday, ahead of the pretrial conference, telling the community a plea deal would not deliver justice for her family. The same report notes that Groom's attorney declined to comment beyond saying Wednesday's court appearance would be uneventful.
Faith Monteiro has said a person's life cannot be measured against a plea deal, especially with Kylee's baby also involved, and that her family will keep fighting for justice while asking the community for help. In an earlier account of the case, she said Kylee had sought out shelter for pregnant women in the lead-up to her death but ran into closed doors — some facilities denied her access, others said they did not have enough beds, as the station previously reported.
Advocates Point to Broader Pattern of Violence
Faith Monteiro has called for more shelter beds and more outreach for women in similar situations, arguing existing resources fall short. The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence has said homicide is one of the leading causes of pregnancy-associated deaths in the United States, with 40% of those homicides tied to intimate-partner violence, the same coverage notes. The coalition's statistics echoed another case the outlet highlighted: Gabriela Vallejo, 29, a mother of a six-year-old daughter, was found with stab wounds to her neck in her Woonsocket apartment while pregnant, and her boyfriend, William Santiago Ramos, was charged with domestic homicide. The coalition said Vallejo was the fifth person lost to domestic violence in Rhode Island that year.
Nonprofit Planned in Kylee's Memory
Faith Monteiro is starting a nonprofit organization in Kylee's honor, hoping it will support expectant mothers and children facing homelessness, domestic violence and mental-health challenges. A website, smileekylee.org, includes information about Kylee's case, available resources, a place to share stories, and donation information, according to the station's reporting. For now, the family's immediate focus remains Wednesday's hearing, where Faith Monteiro hopes a visible show of community support will push back against the proposed plea agreement.
