**Trigger Warning: This article contains graphic depictions of rape and other violence.**
On the morning of Nov. 26, a 28-year-old man from Medford, Mass., Brady McCue, attacked a 48-year-old woman hiking in the Middlesex Fells Reservation, leaving her in serious condition and in need of immediate medical assistance.
McCue had spotted the woman alone, walking in the woods, and believing her to be “small and pretty,” chose to attack her.
McCue left his apartment the morning of the attack with “the intention to kill someone,” according to Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Carrie Spiros.
McCue reportedly punched the victim two times, struck her in the head with a rock around 14 times, telling her to “come with me,” before dragging her off the trail and repeatedly raping her.
After the assault, McCue covered the victim’s face with his jacket; he believed her to be alive at the time, but assumed she would die.
According to police investigations, “McCue stated that he stopped attacking her because he became fearful that someone would see him or that she would get up and attack him.”
The victim reported to investigators that her attacker called back to her after walking away, asking, “Are you okay?” The victim remained quiet in hopes that he would believe she was dead and leave.
The woman was later found by police sitting alone on a trail, her hair and clothes soaked in blood, with blunt force trauma to her face and heavily bleeding. She was then rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital for her injuries including “severe head trauma…an open wound on her forehead, and facial fractures, along with injuries to other parts of her body.”
When at the hospital, the victim was very disoriented, afraid and found it hard to communicate. The woman is now reportedly in stable condition.
Also found on the trail was a defining piece of evidence that led to McCue’s arrest: a Dunkin’ Donuts styrofoam cup. Having been conscious when police found her, the victim was well enough to give a description of her attacker and inform investigators he had been carrying a Dunkin’ cup.
A sticker on the side of the cup led them to the order number and a location of where it had been purchased, as well as a time and date stamp. The investigators went to Medford Square, the Dunkin’ in which it had been purchased, and went through security footage to match up the information from the coffee. The surveillance footage appeared to show McCue purchasing the coffee.
Also found at the scene of the crime was a bloody strip of duct tape, a sweatshirt and a woman’s hat.
Upon arrest, McCue “allegedly admitted to the crime,” telling officers that he had been neglecting his schizophrenia medication for a few days.
McCue was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2018 and was recently a client at the State Department of Mental Health, but was discharged from the Newburyport hospital, Anna Jaques, the Monday before the attack. Prosecution and defense say that McCue’s mental illness will play a defining role in the case.
McCue’s defense attorney, Thomas Silevitch, asked for “mental health and competency evaluations” to determine McCue’s ability to stand trial, but has since withdrawn the requests.
McCue’s father, Harry McCue, reported that his son has been involved in the DMH system for nine years and is usually able to take care of himself as long as he keeps up on his medication. Brady McCue even reportedly spent the night prior with his family for Thanksgiving, but as the day went on, started showing signs of aggression. Harry McCue began to drive his son home to his other home in Merrimack, N.H., but decided to drop him off at his Medford apartment; the attack took place the next morning.
During his arraignment Monday morning in Somerville District Court, Brady McCue pled not guilty to charges of kidnapping, aggravated rape, and armed assault with the intention to murder.
According to the Boston Globe, McCue “showed no emotion, staring at the floor and at times looking at the ceiling” as his arraignment played out. He will be held without the possibility for bail and will be returning to court for a “dangerous hearing” sometime this week. A dangerous hearing is requested from the prosecution when “the accused is a danger to a particular person or the community in general.”