John Ruch
A suspect is finally in custody for the 1995 stabbing death of Zandera Sullivan, a Jamaica Plain man who was killed in a Roxbury house. Prosecutors say it was a case of domestic violence.
Anthony Patrick Brown, 36, pleaded not guilty last week to charges of first-degree murder and armed home invasion in the May 29, 1995 killing of Sullivan, who was 21 years old. Brown, who was known by the alias Derrick Malloy at the time, was arrested as a fugitive in the Central American nation of Belize.
Sullivan reportedly was dating Brown’s ex-girlfriend, allegedly leading Brown to target Sullivan for death. Prosecutors say Brown, wearing a hunting knife on his belt, forced his way into the girlfriend’s apartment while Sullivan was visiting. Brown allegedly then chased Sullivan and stabbed him in the neck and back, killing him.
Brown fled the country, reportedly being tracked by investigators to Jamaica, Panama and Costa Rica. He reportedly used counterfeit ID. Brown has been featured on the TV show “America’s Most Wanted.” He is being held without bail pending trial.
Just two weeks before Sullivan’s death, his father, Zandera Bigby, was also a homicide victim in Roxbury. Bigby, also a JP resident, was shot to death in a crime that is still unsolved, according to Suffolk Country District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Jake Wark.
In the years before his death, Bigby appeared in local police reports for arrests on charges of drug possession, auto theft and receiving stolen property.
Noting that Sullivan’s death appears to be a case of domestic violence, Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley urged victims of abusive partners to seek help.
“The evidence we’ve gathered suggests [the killing] was driven by the need to dominate a former partner and control her life, even when she ended their relationship,” Conley said in a press statement. “It’s a pattern we see far too often. If you or a loved one is involved in such a relationship, help is out there.”
SafeLink, the statewide domestic violence hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020. The service connects victims of domestic violence to people and organizations that can help them. The hotline is available at any time and has operators who speak English, Spanish and Portuguese.