A man from Massachusetts has been charged with involuntary manslaughter following the death of his roommate after a disagreement about Thanksgiving dinner preparations.
Robert Lombardi, who is 65 years old, faces charges related to the death of his 80-year-old roommate, Frank Griswold. The incident reportedly occurred on November 27 in their home located in Marshfield. According to a statement from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, a dispute arose over how to prepare the holiday meal.
Marshfield Police received a 911 call reporting an unconscious man in the kitchen. When officers arrived, they found Griswold with injuries, including a laceration on his forehead and a fractured neck. He was taken to South Shore Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The preliminary investigation revealed that Lombardi “shoved” Griswold during the argument over the meal preparations, and during the altercation, Griswold fell and hit his head.
Local news reports indicate that Lombardi told police he was cooking and did not want Griswold in the kitchen, as he was concerned about him contaminating the food with his sneezing. Lombardi claimed he returned to the kitchen, found Griswold near the food, and ended up pulling him away, leading to Griswold’s fall.
Lombardi then called 911 for help. He was arrested shortly thereafter and pleaded not guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault and battery against a person over 60 during a court appearance on November 29.
His defense attorney described the incident as an unfortunate accident. Lombardi is currently being held without bail.
Court documents show that Lombardi and Griswold had known each other since the 1990s while working in finance and had been living together in Marshfield since 2001.
The determination of Griswold’s exact cause of death is still under investigation by the state’s Chief Medical Examiner’s Office. The investigation remains ongoing.
