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By Gabe Stern
Hometown Weekly Intern
Tammie P. Galloway pleaded not guilty to four indictment charges including first degree murder, home invasion, robbery, and larceny of a motor vehicle last Thursday, August 10, at the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham. The victim of all four charges was Galloway’s former neighbor, Laura Shifrina, who was found dead in her Linden Street apartment on May 31.
According to the police report, up to $3,000 in cash was missing from Shifrina’s apartment on the 31st, as well as her checkbook, purse, and 2011 Red Ford Fiesta.
Assistant District Attorney Greg Connor cited evidence in the report that connected these stolen items to Galloway in a successful attempt to negate bail for the defendant. This included tracing the Ford Fiesta to 0.3 miles away from a Dorchester home belonging to two close associates of Galloway, where she had been staying since May 28. The car smelled heavily of bleach when investigators inspected it. Galloway confirmed to an investigator that she had been in Shifrina’s apartment on the 28th, but claimed that she was only there to use a phone. Connor also pointed out that investigators believe this is the last time anyone saw Shifrina alive.
Investigators believe that the narrow time frame between the murder of Shifrina and her stolen possessions being spotted in Dorchester connect both the robbery and the murder to the same perpetrator.
Robert Jubinville, Galloway’s defense attorney, did not contest the decision for no bail.
District Attorney Michael Morrissey did not attend the arraignment.
Galloway, who is 47 years of age, also pleaded not guilty to a fifth charge of unlawful possession of a firearm, however this was not related to the alleged murder.
Galloway has had 20 other adult arraignments, which include breaking and entering to commit a felony. She also has had seven cases brought against her in North Carolina, including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, where she was found guilty to a lesser degree, as stated in the police report.
Both parties agreed to set a pre-trial conference for Friday, October 20. Galloway is currently being held without bail in Boston.
