Bristol County man convicted of murdering six-month-old stepson granted parole with conditions

A Bristol County man convicted of murdering his six-month-old stepson has been granted parole.

On June 19, 1980, in Bristol Superior Court, Emile Fratus was found guilty of second-degree murder in the beating death of Shawn Gillett. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Fratus appeared for his seventh parole hearing on September 9, 2022. Fratus was denied parole after his initial hearing in 1995, and after his review hearings in 2001, 2006, 2012, 2017 and 2019. He waived his review hearings in 1998 and 2011.

This week, the Parole Board, by a 4-2 vote, concluded that Fratus is a suitable candidate for parole.

According to court records, on July 21, 1977, in the early evening, a then 23-year-old Fratus pushed Shawn’s chair to the floor while the baby was seated in it. At approximately 9 P.M., the baby began to cry while in his crib in the bedroom. Fratus and Shawn’s mother were watching television in the living room. Fratus rushed into the bedroom, lifted Shawn from the crib and struck him “hard” on the side of the head. The baby fell back and struck the other side of his head on the crib. The mother and Fratus left the room. The mother returned to the room a few minutes later. She observed that the child was not breathing and called Fratus.

Fratus tried to resuscitate the baby but was unable to revive him. Fratus instructed the mother to call an ambulance and to say that the baby “fell off the bed.” An ambulance arrived and took Shawn and his mother to the hospital.

At the hospital, doctors noticed a number of bruises on Shawn’s body, and summoned the police. When an officer arrived, Shawn’s mother told him that Shawn “fell off the bed.” The officer observed bruises on the victim’s mother, as well as on Shawn. He inquired about the mother’s bruises. She told the officer her husband had bruised her “fooling around,” and that he “plays rough.” Later that evening, the officer interviewed Fratus, who also told him that the baby had fallen off the bed.

Aside from the fatal injury, the medical examiners found at least ten bruises on Shawn’s face, eight bruises on his chest, one on his right leg, one on his left elbow, and one on his back. These bruises were different sizes and varied in age; some were recent and some were up to three weeks old. The cause of Shawn’s death was a blunt force injury to the head. The force necessary to cause the fatal injury was severe and “not consistent with a fall from a bed.”

Fratus will be released pending an approved home plan after six months in lower security.

According to the Board, Fratus has been sober for 42 years and completed CRA and Relapse Prevention. He has completed rehabilitative programming to include Anger Management and the Domestic Violence Intervention Program. He sees counseling on a monthly basis and is compliant with treatment. The Board also stated that he has good family support. The Board believes he will benefit from a gradual transition through lower security.

Other special conditions for Fratus’ parole include: Curfew – Must be home between 10pm and 6am; ELMO-electronic monitoring; Supervise for drugs, testing in accordance with agency policy; Supervise for liquor abstinence, testing in accordance with agency policy; Report to assigned MA Parole Office on day of release; No contact with victim’s family; Counseling for adjustment/transition; AA/NA at least 3 times/week; and Sex offender evaluation and follow recommended treatment.