BELCHERTOWN — A South Hadley man is being charged with killing his father, David Weise Sr., 70, at their shared South Hadley home in September.
Craig R. Weise, 35, is facing a criminal complaint from South Hadley police in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown charging him with murder in the Sept. 9 death of his father at the 37 Lawn St. home. Weise is also facing a charge of attempted arson of a dwelling house.
According to information from the Northwestern district attorney’s office, Craig Weise allegedly killed his father and then attempted to set the home on fire.
South Hadley police had been called to the home at 4 p.m. on Sept. 9 by a home health care agency, leading officers to discover the body of David Weise Sr. and evidence of recent burning, police said. The office of the chief medical officer later determined the manner of Weise’s death was a homicide.
“We hope this development in the case will assuage any concerns of the community while also providing some answers for David Weise Sr.’s family,” said Northwestern Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Suhl in a statement.
Suhl, who will be prosecuting the case and handling the arraignment, expressed confidence in the evidence gathered so far.
“Investigators have worked tirelessly since Mr. Weise’s body was discovered on Sept. 9 to identify the perpetrator of this crime,” Suhl said.
Weise will be arraigned on a date to be determined. Since Sept. 10, he has been held at the Hampden County House of Correction on an unrelated charge following his arrest in Holyoke, with the murder charge allowing for a warrant to be issued for his arrest.
The initial arrest of Weise in Holyoke came following a traffic stop on Northampton Street in which he allegedly assaulted an officer. Weise was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
The death of David Weise Sr. was the second homicide in Hampshire County in 2022, following the murder of Jana Abromowitz, 21, in July at a Northampton home. Devin Bryden of Northampton was indicted by a grand jury for that murder in August.
The Weise murder case is continuing to be investigated by the Hampshire/Franklin State Police Detective Unit assigned to the district attorney’s office and South Hadley police, along with personnel from the State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit, Crime Scene Services and Crime Laboratory.