Somerset man’s retrial set to begin concerning murder of Fall River’s Dennis Cousineau

A murder trial is set to begin in Fall River Superior Court after a murder conviction was overturned concerning the death of a Fall River man.

At approximately 11:00 p.m. on October 1, 2017, Fall River Police were on patrol at the intersection of Bedford Street and Albion Street. Officers observed a male, later identified as Dennis Cousineau of Fall River, lying on the ground unresponsive with trauma to his face and head. The victim was transported from the scene by ambulance and was later transferred to Rhode Island Hospital due to the severity of his injuries. Cousineau died days later from his injuries. An autopsy was conducted by the Rhode Island Medical Examiner’s Office, which ruled the death a homicide.

Following a jury trial in the Superior Court in October of 2021, Scott Rodrigues of Somerset was convicted of murder in the second degree in connection with the death of Cousineau.

On appeal, Rodrigues challenged the denial of his motions to suppress statements and certain evidence obtained from him by police on the night of the incident.

The Supreme Judicial Court ruled that they agreed with Rodrigues that his motions to suppress should have been allowed which vacated the conviction.

Rodrigues argued that statements he made to a Fall River police officer should have been suppressed because he was questioned while he was in custody without being given Miranda warnings. The Court agreed.

Rodrigues also argued that his sneakers, which had blood from the victim on them, should have been suppressed because he did not consent to their seizure. Because the sneakers were fruit of an unwarned custodial interrogation of Rodrigues, the Court ruled that the denial of his motion to suppress their admission in evidence at trial was error.

In the case, Rodrigues’ girlfriend at the time, Mendi Perry of Fall River, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

The trial is currently scheduled to begin on Monday.

To read the ruling in its entirety, click here.