Manhunt rocks Lowell neighborhood
‘Armed, dangerous’ suspect in woman’s slaying at large
Heavily armed police officers scoured side streets and searched backyards late into the night for a Lowell man who authorities warned was armed, “extremely dangerous” and wanted in connection with the shooting death of a 44-year-old woman.
Rattled residents of the city’s Highlands neighborhood locked their doors and hid in their homes after authorities searching for Ross Elliott urged them to shelter in place. The 51-year-old wanted man was spotted running through the city with a handgun earlier in the day, police added.
“This individual is armed, dangerous and has now been on the run for a long time,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan told reporters at an evening press conference. “We want to emphasize how important that is. As you can see, the streets are fairly empty. We appreciate people’s cooperation.”
Hours beforehand, authorities say Elliott came face-to-face with a local firefighter, pointed a handgun at him and fled on foot.
The search for Elliott began about 7:30 a.m. after police officers responding to a reported homicide on Stevens Street found a woman dead. Ryan said the unidentified victim had previously been in a “domestic relationship” with Elliott.
A woman who said she was the victim’s cousin recalled her as “beautiful inside and out.”
“Nothing could keep her down because she always thought about her (three) kids,” she said. “Always honest, so funny and such an infectious laugh. ... She touched so many lives. ... She was all about her kids. She always wanted a family life.”
As SWAT officers, state troopers and local cops — some carrying long rifles and assisted by police dogs — descended on the city, helicopters buzzing overhead had residents looking for answers.
Linda Bailey, 58, said she casually knew the victim and said she was a strong mother to her young daughter.
“I hope and pray that the child didn’t see anything,” she said. “That’s what goes through my mind over and over.”
As investigators canvassed the city, details of Elliott’s violent criminal past came to light.
In December 2004, officers responding to an emergency call at Elliott’s Gorham Street home found him hiding in a closet, pressing a 5-inch knife blade to his girlfriend’s throat, according to police. As the bleeding woman yelled for help, Lowell cops managed to separate her from Elliott and place him under arrest.
After being charged with assault with intent to murder and kidnapping, Elliott posted $100,000 bail and was released May 31, 2005, court documents show.
Seven months later, police say they responded to an apartment on Bowden Street and found the same woman beaten, bloodied and missing a tooth. Elliott, prosecutors said, was found in the bedroom.
He pleaded guilty in July 2006 to charges including armed assault with intent to murder and trafficking heroin, according to court documents, and was sentenced to nine years in MCI-Cedar Junction.
Anyone who may have information about Elliott’s whereabouts or who may see him is being urged not to approach him but immediately call 911 or contact Lowell cops at 978-937-3200 or state police at 781-897-6600.