Every Town - Waltham, MA - Unsolved Triple Waltham Homicide

Episode Date: November 5, 2021

On September 11, 2011, what seemed to be another bloody triple homicide case in the city of Waltham in Middlesex County, Massachusetts turned out to be not just another violent crime that some random killer mindlessly executed. The homicides, which almost decapitated Brendan Mess, Erik Weissman, and Raphael Teken, were entangled in a controversial mess that involved drugs, terrorism and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. Was it a coincidence that the murders took place on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks? Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you love true crime, grab your favorite mug and pour yourself a dose of creepy true crime every single morning with a morning cup of murder. This short daily show is the perfect podcast to incorporate into your morning routine, because in less than 15 minutes, you'll hear about a true crime that took place on a day's date in history. Each day's dark history lesson will kickstart your morning with intriguing tales of murder, abduction, serial killers, cults, and everything in between. With over 20 million downloads, Morning Cup of Murder has something for every true crime lover. One listener describes the show as a small package with a powerful punch of crime.

Another writes that the show is an absolute delight in the morning. Support yourself a piping hot cup of murder every single morning with Morning Cup of Murder. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Every town has a dark side. For this week, we head to Waltham, which is in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, where we check out the unresolved triple Waltham homicide. On September 11th, 2011, would seem to be another bloody triple homicide case in the city of Waltham, Massachusetts, turned out to be not just another violent crime that some random killer mindlessly executed. The homicides which almost decapitated Brendan Mess, Eric Weissman, and Raphael Tekken were entangled in a controversial mess that involved drugs, terrorism, and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. Was it a coincidence that the murders took place on the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks?

Let's take a look and dig into this story deeper. This is Andrew Fitzgerald, and I'm excited to bring you another episode here on Everytown. This week's podcast is covering a triple homicide that sent shockwaves throughout Massachusetts and the rest of America back in the fall of 2011. Investigators uncovered some unexpected element that added layers of mystery to the so-called triple Waltham homicides. Yet, it is still an unresolved case almost a decade later, and the details are still worth knowing and as interesting as ever. Three friends just wanted to hang out one cozy Sunday evening in September of 2011 and watch the New York Jets take on the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night football. But not even halfway through the game, Brendan Mess, Eric Weissman, and Raphael Tekin, had reached their endgame.

They were unceremoniously killed when their throats were slit from ear to ear with such great force that they nearly ended up headless. Who were these young men who were murdered and why were they subjected to such a brutal manner of killing? Yeah, it does? No, but it doesn't have the flexibility that we looked for. Oh, okay, well, let's try this.

It was easy and natural for Brendan, Eric and Raphael to bond as friends. They shared many common things. All three were born and grew up in Massachusetts, particularly in or near the Boston area. They also profess the same Jewish faith, loved sports, and indulged in rigorous physical activities which later became their professions. The oldest among the three friends was 37-year-old Raphael Tekin, known as Rafi, and many of his friends and family members. A son of a rabbi, he was born on December 28, 1973.

and grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts, just a few miles outside of Boston. In 1992, he graduated from Brookline High School and later attended the predominantly Jewish Brandeis University, where he finished with a bachelor's degree in history in 1998. But Rafi was more inclined towards physical fitness and spent a better part of his adulthood in the gym. He later found work as a personal trainer, and people close to him described him as a kind spirit who managed to stay out of trouble well into his 30s despite facing some personal tragedies.

Six years younger than Rafi was Eric Weissman, who was born on June 19, 1980 in Boston. Eric grew up in a home that actively practiced their Jewish faith. Thus, Eric was the one among the trio of friends who remained involved with his local synagogue into his adulthood. Unsurprisingly, it was the most vocal with his Jewish faith throughout his life. He graduated from the pilot program of Cambridge Ridge in Latin School, a local high school in Boston, where he left a good impression.

Larry Aronson, one of Eric's teachers, said about him, he had such potential and was such a good soul. He was just a good friend to a lot of people. He was friends with all kinds of kids, regardless of their background. And that was what was important to him, that network of friends. As a sports aficionado, particularly in basketball, Eric predictably chose to become a bodybuilder. The youngest among the three pals was 25-year-old Brendan Mess, who was also born on January 16th in 1986 and bred in Boston. The difference in age wasn't a hindrance for Brendan to become close with Rafi and Eric.

Brendan finished with a bachelor's degree in professional writing from Champlain College, a small private school in Burlington, Vermont, about 300 miles north of Boston. But Brendan didn't end up as a writer, rather, he became a mixed martial arts fighter after graduation. He became more known for his work as an MMA instructor and trainer, and Brendan was mostly adept in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and later branched out into boxing to bolster his skills and to become a more versatile fighter as well. But Raphael, Eric, and Brendan weren't too good to be true.

They were not just angels with enviable physiques. They battle with their demons too, which stemmed from their involvement in illegal drugs. Rafi's known source of income basically came from working as a personal trainer. However, his neighbors were convinced that he was also a drug dealer primarily of marijuana, which substantially supplemented his income. His neighbors had noted that he rarely went out of his apartment. Instead, he had a number of regular visitors coming in and out of his rented place.

It had drawn suspicion, but because Raphael was such a quiet and unassuming guy, nobody really thought that he was engaged in an illegal activity that could court trouble. Likewise, Eric was believed to gain financially from minor drugs, drug dealing. In fact, Eric was pulled over by a police officer for failing to yield in 2008. Upon leaning into Eric's car window, the officer reportedly smelled marijuana. Eric immediately confessed possessing a paper bag full of weed and was later charged with marijuana possession and intent to distribute. In 2011, while Eric was away, his landlord then discovered his large stash of weed and his apartment.

and he notified the authorities. Eric was then later arrested and charged with possessing weed and small amounts of cocaine and prescription drugs, but those charges were later dropped. As for Brendan Mess, his run-in with the authorities happened in 2010. When he was arrested for assaulting people, alongside another guy at a store in Waltham where he resided. Luckily for Brendan, police at the time didn't know that he was. He had also begun dealing drugs along with his friends, Rafi and Eric.

The trio were reportedly sharing the same address at 12 Harding Avenue, a second-story apartment in a quiet suburban neighborhood in Waltham, on the western edges of Boston. Waltham is home to approximately 60,000 residents, mostly university students, faculty members, and foreign residents from all around the world. Brendan was the owner of the apartment, which was more like a large house with separate rooms each occupied individually by the three guys. In 2011, Eric had no permanent residence and was crashing on friend's couches, including Brendan's.

But he was forced to leave in the first week of September when Brendan and his girlfriend had a serious heated argument that ultimately led to their breakup. Eric ended up crashing at another friend's place for a few days, but was invited back by Brendan later that weekend. Rafi was also a frequent visitor at Brendan's apartment, almost as if he was a paying occupant himself. So when they planned to get together on September 11, 2011, for a sporty evening of watching an anticipated 8.30 p.m. football game, it was sort of a usual boys' night out for the three friends.

Eric was the early bird, arriving at Brendan's play. at 7.30 p.m. after staying for a few days with his friend and Newton. Raffy came after, and while waiting for the game to start, the three guys were busy texting with family and friends, and that would abruptly stop at 8 p.m. Just before 9 p.m., Eric used his cell phone to order delivery from Jerry's Italian kitchen, a pizza place in nearby Watertown. At 9.14 p.m., a delivery woman arrived at Brendan's apartment, knocked repeatedly on the door, but got no response. The restaurant then tried calling Eric's cell phone in an effort to get in touch with him, but that was unanswered too. So what had happened inside Brendan's apartment? Following a heated lover's quarrel that caused a

breakdown in their relationship, the ex-girlfriend of Brendan went to his apartment the following day on September 12, 2011. They hadn't seen each other for quite some time after the ex-girlfriend spent the last several days in Florida with her family. She'd been trying to contact Brendan over the last few hours but failed to do so. She had returned to Waltham, hoping to patch things up, so she decided to go to Brendan's apartment to speak to him directly since he wasn't answering. The ex-girlfriend asked the landlord to unlock his apartment.

apartment door, and so she was the first person to step into Brendan's apartment just before 2.30 p.m. that day. Then, the sight that she saw caused her to scream. She left frantically and moments later, crying and screaming, and authorities were immediately called at sea. It was a bloody and violent scene all throughout the house, where in Rafi, Eric and Brendan, all physically fit and strong were dragged to or killed in three different rooms. Their bodies have been left covered with thousands of dollars worth of marijuana weighing in at seven pounds, which investigators later described as a symbolic gesture, and $5,000 worth of cash scattered across their bodies.

It suggested that robbery wasn't the motive. Police believe that the incident likely occurred in the vital period between 8 and 9 p.m. on September 11. Based on the crime scene, authorities also theorized that the triple murder was personal in nature and wasn't driven by robbery or any other type of similar motive, for why would the killer or killers leave thousands worth of weed and cold cash that covered the bodies of the three men? The cause of their death also indicated that Rafi, Eric, and Brendan were familiar with their perpetrator or perpetrators. Considering this, they all had their heads pulled back in their throat slit, with the cuts being so severe that it left them nearly decapitated.

Oddly, each one of the men suffered varying degrees of abuse and violence. Rafi had only his throat slit, while Eric had a bloody lip aside from a cut throat. Brendan's throat was severely slashed too, plus he had bruises on his face, scratches all over his arm, arms and other defensive wounds, indicating that the MMA fighter had fiercely fought back against his attacker. The belief of investigators that the killer or killers were likely friends or acquaintances of the three victims was backed up by the fact that there wasn't any sign of a forced entry. Most likely the bad guys were willingly welcomed into Brendan's apartment. strangely, none of Brendan's neighbors or his landlord had seen or heard anything suspicious

from that September 11th evening until September 12th, considering that most of them left their windows open overnight because of the warm weather in the area. Later on, it was reported that two unidentified men had been seen at Brendan's apartment around the time police believed the murders happened. So, what could have been the plausible reason behind the brutal murder? of Raffi, Eric, and Brendan. Authorities explored different angles and interviewed the victim's friends,

family members, and colleagues, but didn't discover anything substantial from that. Brendan Mess's ex-girlfriend, though, was considered an early suspect. A week prior to the crime, they had a violent fight that involved her throwing bottles and even knives at him. They broke up and she left Walt Bam to visit her family

in Florida at the time Brendan and his friends were killed on September 11th. She was quickly eliminated as a suspect, though, as police could find nothing linking her to the crime. Ethnicity or religion was also considered as a slightly possible reason as all three men were Jewish, although Brendan wasn't really practicing Judaism at the time.

Eleven days after the triple homicide, Brennan's 19-year-old neighbor was considered a second suspect. He'd been arrested for threatening strangers with a knife and demanding that they give him weed. However, police rode off the teenager as a harmless local hooligan whose bark was bigger than his bite, someone who didn't have the ability to subdue three physically imposing men. Thus, he was also cleared as a suspect.

So then, what is the common denominator among the three friends? Their involvement in illegal drugs, which authorities believed was the strongest angle to be explored in the case, of course. Since all three were believed to be dealing drugs, it was later theorized that Brendan and Eric were planning on expanding their enterprise in the near future. Perhaps they had run across some other local or underground dealers who killed the trio to send a message to other rivals. Thus, authorities believed that the killer or killers had intentionally targeted the victims

and investigators ruled out this being a random crime entirely. Despite these scenarios, authorities were ultimately unable to make any inroads in the succeeding months. The case had quickly gone cold, which some family members of the victims attributed to the inactivity of the authorities. According to them, the police were simply waiting for someone to come forward with a confession, as they believed that the case would simply solve itself in due time. The way it apparently ended roughly 18 months later, when the triple homicide of Raphael, Eric, and Brendan exploded in a major way, when it was linked to a 2013 despicable act of terrorism that happened in Boston, Massachusetts. April 15th, 2013 was Patriots Day in Boston, and the 117th Boston Marathon took place,

with more than 23,000 runners participating in that year's event. The marathon kicked off at 9.17 a.m., and the runners were released in three waves over the next 40 minutes. The front runners of the 26-mile course started arriving at the finish line approximately two hours later, and other participants followed in the next few hours. Then at around 2.49 p.m., as hundreds of spectators huddled around the next few hours,

the finish line in anticipation of other runners' arrivals, an explosion occurred nearby. This would be followed by a subsequent blast about 15 seconds later, which went off roughly 200 yards away. The explosion of two homemade pressure cooker bombs detonated 14 seconds apart, and it claimed three innocent lives and wounded 264 people who were treated in 27 different local hospitals. It was the largest act of terrorism in America since the 9-11 attacks, and then President Barack Obama would address the press just hours after the Boston bombings. But how would the deaths of Raffield Tekin, Eric Weissman, and Brendan Mess connected to the Boston terrorist attacks when they had died two years prior?

The link was traced through Brendan's best friend, who was 26-year-old Tamerlin Senarev, and his 19-year-old brother, Jakar. The brothers were Chechen Americans, born during the collapse of the Soviet Union, and had spent their youth in Kyrgyzstan. They later obtained asylum in America and moved with their families to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they would ultimately become permanent U.S. residents.

But what made them most loathsome in the eyes of the world was there being identified as the suspect and the Boston Marathon bombings with a large-scale investigation that was quickly launched to find the culprits. Statements from witnesses and surveillance images from the bombing

sites zeroed in on the Sinai of brothers as the bombers. How did Brendan and Tamerlin become close friends that later entangled the latter to the Walt Bam Triple Homicide? Tamerlin wanted to become an engineer so we went to college at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston.

In 2008, he totally quit school to pursue boxing as a career, while also becoming more of a devout Muslim. He began attending a mosque near his Cambridge home and stopped drinking alcohol and smoking weed entirely. However, he also resorted to violence in solving his problems and even in nonsensical acts like beating up his sister's boyfriend because he wasn't a Muslim. In 2009, his boxing skills made in the New England Golden World

gloves heavyweight champion. Unfortunately, he also began expressing some more erratic behavior outside the ring, and he was arrested for aggravated domestic assault and battery. In 2010, Tamerlin became a father, and at the same time gained a best friend in Brendan because of their shared passion for physical sports. Since Tamerlin was a well-known boxer and Brendan was a proficient mixed martial artist, The two provided a perfect counterbalance for one another and could each learn something from the other in the sparring ring. The two became the closest of friends, and even lived together in the same house

and attended the same social gatherings. At this time, Tamerlin had fallen deeper into his extremist views and had become a follower of more radical Islamic beliefs. The Russian Federal Security Service, in fact, informed the FBI that Tamerlian planned to visit Russia to join an underground terrorist organization. The FBI conducted an investigation and interviewed Tamerlin himself, but they didn't find a link worth pursuing. The friendship of Brendan and Tamerlin soon suffered a blow when the latter expressed disapproval of the former's lifestyle choices, especially Brendan's use and sale of marijuana.

Allegedly, Brendan might have sold weed to Tamerlind's younger brother. The discord between Tamerlin and Brendan was never displayed publicly, so to the undiscerning eye, the two were still friends. That is, until that fateful September 11th, 2011 day, when Brendan and his friends, Rafi and Eric were killed. Tamerlin had professed his deep friendship with Brendan Mess describing him as his best friend, But he expressed no sadness or any emotion, for that matter, over Brendan's brutal murder. As one of their mutual friends said, Tam wasn't there at the memorial service, he wasn't at the funeral.

He wasn't around at all. And he was really close with Brendan. He was somebody who was in contact with Brendan on a daily basis. Anybody like that, you would think they would have been around. After Brendan's murder, Tamerlin became oddly distant with the people he'd met and known through Brendan. He stopped going to the gym they had constantly spartan. He would seem to laugh off Brendan's death with others virtually shrugging off their friendship over the past several years. He seemed totally unaffected by Brendan's death and would disappear shortly thereafter.

In January of 2012, Tamerlin went to Russia. for six months, and he presumably underwent radical training from underground terrorists. By July, he had returned to America and appeared to have become a true Islamic extremist, arguing and confronting those he viewed as being less committed to Islam than him. And on April 15, 2013, Timmerlind's long-awaited plot of terrorism in Boston unfolded. Three days later, the FBI released a... images of the Sonara of brothers, and following their identification, they killed an MIT policeman, kidnapped a man in his car, and had a shootout with the police in nearby Watertown.

They killed one police officer. During the encounter, Tamerlin was shot several times, and his brother, Jakar, ran him over while escaping in a stolen car. Tamerlin died soon after. After his death and Jakar's arrest, the Walt murder case was re-examined in April of 2013 with the deceased Tamerlin as a new suspect. Authorities said the Saniyev brothers may have been responsible for the triple homicide. The forensic evidence connected them to the scene of the killings and that their cell phone records placed them in the area at the time of the murders. The development in the case then happened on May 22nd, 2013.

Ibrahim Todeshev, a 27-year-old Chechen immigrant and former M.MA fighter who knew Tamerlin, was shot dead in his Orlando, Florida apartment by law enforcement officers while interviewing him about the Waltham murders and the Boston Marathon Bomings. The FBI alleged that just before he was killed, Ibrahim implicated both himself and Tamerlin in the Waltham murders, claiming that he acted alongside Tamerlain and carrying out the triple homicide. He disclosed that the initial crime was a misguided drug robbery orchestrated by Tamerlin. He claimed that Tamerlin had encouraged him to rob Brendan's apartment alongside him

and that they entered the apartment at gunpoint. Once inside, they used their firearms to subdue Raphael, Eric, and Brendan, but Tamerlin feared that he'd be identified so he decided to kill the gunpoint. three friends. Afterwards, Ibrahimine confessed that he and Tamerlund spent an hour or so cleaning up the crime scene and removing evidence of their presence such as fingerprints. They then stole thousands of dollars, which they would split between themselves. Ibrahim was writing a formal statement when he asked for a break, but he actually made a sudden

attack on an FBI agent, so Ibrahim was fatally shot multiple. times. In the years since the deaths of both Tamerlund and Ibrahim, police have indicated that there's physical evidence linking at least one of the men to the crime scene. They hinted that DNA evidence from the crime scene matched Tamerlund's genetic profile. However, the specific details of this information haven't been released publicly, and the findings of the nearly decades-long investigation remain guarded until now. The 2011 Waltham triple murder is still officially unsolved and has become a cold case ever since. Hopefully, and sooner rather than later, the truth will finally come out so that we can all know

what happened in Waltham on that fateful day. So that's it for this week's episode of Everytown. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Tune in next week for another episode filled with Scary. strange and mysterious stories, because who knows? Maybe your town will be next.