Published in the December 15, 2016 edition.
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — A large contingent of State Police, Wakefield Police and representatives of the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office spent several hours conducting a search in the woods off the end of Briarwood Lane yesterday. A backhoe was also used in the search.
Police were tight-lipped at the scene but the search is believed to be related to a case from April 28, 2015 when the bullet-riddled body of a Lynn man was found inside a black Volvo SUV in the woods off Sunset Drive. The man was later identified as Jeffrey Raphael, 30, of Lynn. Briarwood Lane and Sunset Drive are at opposite ends of a wooded area owned by National Grid. Reports at the time said that a 911 call from a passerby alerted police to the crime scene.
Yesterday, numerous Wakefield and State Police vehicles were parked along Briarwood Lane along with Boston TV news crews. Television news helicopters circled the area.
Police would not say if anything specific prompted yesterday’s search but it was suggested that investigators may have wanted to search the area one more time before the snow falls.
State Police were referring calls to the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. The DA’s office did not respond to multiple requests for information this morning.
