Bristol County DA announces arrest in cold case murder of Suzanna Alvarado found dead in Westport

An arrest has been made in a local cold case murder.

According to Jennifer Sowa of the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, on October 17, 2005, the body of 42-year-old Suzanna Alvarado was discovered on the side of the road on Rt. 88 in Westport, Mass.  The medical examiner determined that Alvarado had been beaten and strangled to death.  Alvarado had been living in New Bedford and was known to work as a prostitute. The initial investigation into Alvarado’s death failed to develop any meaningful suspects. 

In 2020, a complete forensic review of the case evidence began at the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory.  During this review, a biological sample was discovered on Alvarado’s shirt. Through additional investigation and testing, it was determined that now, 62-year-old Simao Farias of New Bedford was the source of the biological sample from Alvarado’s shirt and his DNA was consistent with DNA taken from two other locations from Alvarado’s person/ clothing.  

The investigation into this cold case murder was a collaborative effort of the Bristol County District Attorney’s Cold Case Unit, Massachusetts State Police Unresolved Case Unit, Bristol County State Police Detective Unit, the Westport and New Bedford Police Departments, Othram Laboratories, and the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory.

The Bristol County Grand Jury indicted Simao Farias for the murder of Suzanna Alvarado on Wednesday, and he was arrested. 

He will be arraigned in the Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River Thursday, Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn announced.  The case will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jason Mohan, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Unit.