The man charged with killing 13-year-old Tyler Lawrence in Mattapan wants out of his current cellblock in Middleton and back into a Boston jail, arguing he cannot properly get ready for trial from Essex County. His attorneys say he has no way to access critical digital evidence, including surveillance and body camera footage, while being held at the Essex County jail in Middleton. A hearing on the transfer request is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 26.
In a recent court filing, defense attorney G. Makis Antzoulatos says his client, Csean Skerritt, cannot view the discovery the state has turned over and is being held in a restrictive unit that limits his access to the law library and electronic files. The motion notes that Skerritt was briefly brought back to the Nashua Street jail on Nov. 12 before being moved again to Middleton, and now asks for a transfer so he can sit down with his lawyer and review the evidence. According to The Boston Globe, the defendant’s trial is slated to begin on April 27, 2026.
Defense: Can’t Review Surveillance Or Bodycam Footage
Antzoulatos writes that “there is currently no ability for Mr. Skerritt to view any digital discovery in his case,” adding that attorneys’ legal calls were at times capped at 15 minutes with staff present. According to the motion, the prosecution’s case “relies significantly on surveillance camera footage and body camera footage the defendant has not reviewed,” and the filing asks the court to order a transfer to restore meaningful access to those files.
As outlined by The Boston Globe, the defense argues that the current restrictions undercut Skerritt’s ability to prepare for trial and to help his lawyers test what the videos actually show.
Case Background
Prosecutors say Skerritt walked up to 13-year-old Tyler Lawrence on Jan. 29, 2023, and fired five times at close range; officials told jurors the entire sequence lasted about one minute and 11 seconds. Lawrence, a Norwood seventh-grader, had been visiting his grandparents in Mattapan when he was shot and killed near the intersection of Fremont and Babson streets…