State Supreme Judicial Court upholds 2014 murder conviction

For Immediate Release May 14, 2021

Northwestern District Attorney’s Office Director of Communication and Outreach: Laurie Loisel, 413-374-7604

State’s highest court upholds 2014 murder conviction of Ryan Welch in killing of Jessica Pripstein

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Friday upheld the 2014 first degree murder conviction of Ryan D. Welch in connection with the 2012 slaying of Jessica Ann Pripstein inside the Easthampton apartment the couple shared.

In its decision, the SJC affirmed several rulings by Hampshire Superior Court judges C. Jeffrey Kinder and Daniel A. Ford and denied the defendant’s request for a new trial.

The appeal was argued before the Court on Feb. 5, 2021 by defense attorney Alan J. Black for Welch and Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Cynthia Von Flatern for the Commonwealth. The appeal centered around Black’s contention that Judge Ford should not have allowed into evidence statements made by Welch while he was hospitalized as well as text messages Welch sent involving a work-related dispute and so-called “prior bad acts,” including Welch’s prior drunk driving conviction.  The Court affirmed Ford’s decision allowing those pieces of evidence into the trial.

“Finding no reversible error either in any issue raised by the defendant or in our review under G. L. c. 278, § 33E, we affirm the defendant's conviction and the order denying his motion for a new trial,” the Court wrote in a 40-page unanimous decision authored by Justice David A. Lowy.

Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Bucci and former ADA Steven Greenbaum were the trial attorneys on the case.

“We are pleased that the SJC agreed with Judge Ford in upholding the murder conviction of Mr. Welch. This preserves the justice given to Jessica Pripstein and her family when the jury issued its guilty verdict in October of 2014,” said Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan. “I’m proud of ADA Jeremy Bucci and former ADA Greenbaum, who presented the case, as well as Assistant District Attorney Von Flatern who handled the appeal on behalf of our office. This was great teamwork and a just conviction was upheld.”

“Nine years later, it is still a tragedy, but finally the Pripstein family can get some closure,” said Easthampton Police Chief  Robert Alberti. “The entire department worked on this case, led by Detective Lt. Mark Popielarczyk, Detective Eric Alexander and Sgt Timothy Rogers. But every member of this department did an amazing job securing the scene and preserving the evidence. Their tireless efforts resulted in a conviction that stood the test of time.”

Following his conviction, Welch was sentenced to state prison for life without parole, a mandatory sentence.

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