Tributes to murdered doctor with ‘infectious joy for life’

THE FAMILY of a Yorkshire-educated doctor killed alongside his anaesthetist fiancee in their luxury US penthouse have described their deaths as a “tragedy beyond measure” .

Anaesthetist Richard Field, 49, and Lina Bolanos, 38, were “loving, vital people” with an “infectious” joy for life, their relatives said.

The couple were found dead in their apartment in Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday night.

During his final moments Dr Field, a 1999 University of Sheffield graduate had texted a friend to report a “serious situation” with a gunman in his home, according to prosecutors.

In a statement, Dr Field’s family said: “Richard and Lina were loving, vital people whose joy for life was infectious and love for family absolute.

“They thrived on travelling, experiencing cultures and making friends in every port. As such, their loss will be felt by family and loved ones across the world.

“Their passing is a tragedy beyond measure and our lives will forever be changed.”

The family said they want the pair to be remembered for their lives rather than their deaths, and asked for donations to Doctors Without Borders.

Dr Field’s Facebook profile says he was from London, while it has been reported he was born in Hammersmith, in the west of the capital.

According to the Massachusetts medicine board he worked at a clinic in Beverly, north of Boston.

The North Shore Pain Management centre, where he had worked since 2010, spoke of him as a “guiding vision” who gave patients and colleagues his “tireless devotion”.

Dr Bolanos, who worked at Massachusetts Eye and Ear hospital as a paediatric anaesthetist, was described by colleagues on Monday as a “shining star”.

The couple were found dead in the apartment having suffered “obvious trauma”, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.

Bampumim Teixeira, 30, a former security worker from nearby Chelsea, was charged with two counts of murder on Monday.

The case returns to court on June 8.