DA Says 8th-Grade Student Murdered by Abusive Boyfriend, 21, Hours Before Her Middle-School Graduation

The family of Alianah Dickey had reason to celebrate on Friday evening as they arrived at the eighth-grader's middle school for her graduation.

Concerns began to arise however when Alianah did not show up for the ceremony, and shortly after 6 p.m. her grandmother called Lowell Police to report that she found the 15-year-old shot and possibly dead in her home,Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said at a news conference on Monday.

Now, Alianah's 21-year-old boyfriend, Trevor Brady, is being held behind bars, charged with murder , armed home invasion, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, use of a firearm while committing a felony and discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a building.

Brady entered a plea of not guilty to all charges during his initial appearance in Lowell District Court on Tuesday.

Prosecutors said in court on Tuesday that Alianah told a friend that Brady had threatened to kill her and her grandmother, "shoot up her house," and "threatened to kidnap her and shoot her," just two days before her death.

The 15-year-old also told friends that she was in an abusive relationship and that Brady had left her with bruises and a bloody lip at times, according to prosecutors. As a result, Alianah decided to end the relationship.

Prosecutors say that late in the evening on June 14, Brady took an Uber to Alianah's home in the Massachusetts city of Lowell, located 30 miles north of Boston .

A neighbor then called 911 just after midnight to report hearing a fight and possibly Alianah's last words as they told the dispatcher that they heard a woman scream: "Get off me, get away from me, I don’t want to be with you anymore."

Prosecutors said the next thing the neighbor reported hearing was the sound of gunshots.

There was no sign of the couple when police arrived to investigate, but video taken from a nearby surveillance camera that was recovered during the investigation allegedly showed a female yelling for help shortly before midnight and a male leaving that female's home shortly after midnight. The female was identified as Alianah and the male as Brady, said prosecutors.

Also helping police identify Brady was his Uber driver, who drove him both to and from Alianah's house, according to prosecutors. "The driver later reported that he had had a suspicious passenger and expressed concern," said prosecutors.

Police arrested Brady on Monday and he is now being held at the Lowell County Jail.

His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.

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