A quiet Saturday night dinner turned deadly in Middleborough, Massachusetts, after a family argument over steaks ended in a brutal stabbing.
Police say 41-year-old Andrew Horsman fatally stabbed his mother’s longtime boyfriend, 66-year-old Paul Pomerleau, during a heated confrontation at the family home on Fairview Street around 8 p.m. on June 22.
According to prosecutors, the two men began arguing while steaks were being cooked. Witnesses told investigators the men exchanged words in the living room before Horsman suddenly charged across the room and stabbed Pomerleau repeatedly — 17 times in total.
Pomerleau’s son, who was present at the time, said his father stood up after the attack, took several steps, and collapsed in the mudroom. That’s where officers later found him surrounded by a large amount of blood, along with a knife and a gallon of lighter fluid nearby.
In a disturbing twist, police say Horsman returned to the scene moments later and poured the lighter fluid over Pomerleau’s body in an apparent attempt to set him on fire. However, another family member intervened and stopped him.
Horsman fled but was quickly found about 1,000 feet from the home and arrested. He’s now charged with murder and is being held without bail after pleading not guilty in court on Monday. He’s scheduled to return to court on July 28.
Prosecutors said the victim suffered approximately 10 stab wounds to the torso, five in his back, and two more in his right arm. He was rushed to Morton Hospital in Taunton but died within the hour.
Family members told police the household had a history of verbal domestic conflict, with tension building between Pomerleau and Horsman — who was unemployed and had recently moved back in. Pomerleau reportedly didn’t want him living there, and had expressed concerns that Horsman might eventually turn violent.
During the arraignment, Horsman’s attorney acknowledged there had been a long, complicated relationship between the two men and said there was more to the story. “This wasn’t a random act of violence,” attorney Joshua Wood said. “It was a response to years of suffering.”
Middleborough Police Chief Robert Ferreira issued a statement on the tragic incident, offering condolences to the family and thanking the community for its patience during the response, which included a brief shelter-in-place.
