23-Year-Old Massachusetts Man Charged in the Murder of 19-Year-Old Franklin Mane

A second suspect has been charged in connection with the 2021 shooting death of a 19-year-old Worcester man, authorities announced. Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. confirmed that Jose Pacheco, 23, of Worcester, is facing a murder charge in the killing of Franklin Mane. Pacheco is already in state custody on an unrelated matter and is expected to be arraigned in Leominster District Court. Pacheco is now accused of being one of the individuals who shot and killed Mane in what investigators have described as a targeted act of violence.

Body Found in Overgrown Lot

The investigation began on May 12, 2021, when officers with the Leominster Police Department responded to a report of a body near 46 Industrial Road. The body was discovered in an overgrown area at the edge of a parking lot, partially hidden by vegetation. Authorities later identified the victim as Franklin Mane, a 19-year-old from Worcester. An autopsy conducted by the Office of the State Medical Examiner revealed that Mane died from multiple gunshot wounds. His death was officially ruled a homicide. The circumstances of how Mane ended up at that location have not been fully disclosed, but investigators believe he was deliberately targeted.

First Suspect Charged in 2023

Two years after the killing, authorities arrested and charged the first suspect in the case. In May 2023, 25-year-old Wilbert I. Nieves of Fitchburg was formally charged with murder in connection with Mane’s death. His case remains ongoing in the court system. Prosecutors have not publicly detailed the specific roles each suspect allegedly played in the shooting or whether additional individuals may have been involved. It is also unclear if either suspect had a personal connection to Mane.

Ongoing Investigation

The investigation into the 2021 murder continues to be active. It is being led jointly by the Leominster and Worcester Police Departments, in coordination with the Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities have not provided further information about a motive or whether new evidence led to Pacheco’s recent indictment. The DA’s office emphasized that more developments could arise as the investigation moves forward. With two individuals now facing murder charges, the case marks a significant step toward justice for Franklin Mane and his family, who have been waiting nearly three years for answers.