Around 6 p.m. Friday, a relative checked the first-floor apartment and discovered the girl’s body. Her grandmother called police to report Dickey was “certainly hurt and possibly dead,” Ryan told reporters Monday.
Authorities recovered several shell casings and said it appeared that Dickey had been shot to death.
During a press conference Monday at Lowell police headquarters, Ryan said that Dickey was Bady’s girlfriend, and that she had confided to a number of people that Bady was abusing her, and had threatened her as recently as the middle of last week.
Early Friday morning, Lowell police received a call reporting that a male and female were fighting outside on Lawrence Street, according to Ryan.
The caller told police the female screamed: “Get off me, get away from me, I don’t want to be with you anymore.”
The caller also reported hearing gunshots, Ryan said.
Police responded to the scene but did not locate anyone on the street after a search, Ryan said. Surveillance video from that night that was later viewed by investigators recorded footage of a young woman later identified as Dickey with a man who was identified as Bady.
Ryan said Bady took an Uber to Dickey’s home before the murder, and left after the shooting.
“The driver of that Uber later reported to police that he was concerned by the behavior of that passenger and he later was able to identify that individual as Mr. Bady,” Ryan said.
Bady was arrested Monday at a residence in Peabody without incident, Ryan said.
At Lowell police headquarters Monday, family members of both Dickey and Bady had gathered prior to Ryan’s press conference. The two groups mixed together, and several people shared long embraces while wiping away tears. They declined to speak to a reporter.
Prior to news of Bady’s arrest, Dickey’s father Scott Dickey said he and the girl’s stepmother are reeling from their loss. He asked for help in finding who was responsible for his daughter’s death.
“We have faced the worst fear in our lives. One of our children was brutally taken from us,” the family said in a GoFundMe.com site.
“I can’t believe we have to stomach this and bring our minds to write something like this … Our family is hurting during this horrible tragedy. No parent should have to burry their kid.”
By Monday evening, more than $6,000 had been raised toward’s the campaign’s $20,000 goal. On Facebook, Stephanie Weatherbee, the girl’s stepmother, expressed the pain the family is experiencing.
“Our hearts hurt beyond measures,” she wrote. “A young beautiful lady with the brightest smile, she has been brutally taken from all of us …This is unbelievable … but it is our reality … Our baby girl needs JUSTICE.”
According to Lowell District Court records, Bady was arrested at least twice in recent years. One incident took place on Dec. 9, 2021 when Bady allegedly joined other teenagers as they beat, kicked and robbed another teenager of his gym bag and other items.
On Jan. 5, 2022, Bady allegedly pointed a handgun with a green laser sight above the head of a Lowell man he was acquainted with and fired one shot in the man’s direction. He allegedly asked the man’s wife whether she “wanted some too,” according to Lowell police reports and court records.
In the handgun case, Ryan’s office successfully argued at that time that Bady was too dangerous to be freed, and he was initially ordered held without bail.
He was later able to post bail and was ordered to wear a GPS locating device; he was once accused by probation officers of deliberately failing to charge the battery. A judge declined to order him jailed, however.
As the cases proceeded, defense attorney Martin W. Ryan argued the eyewitness identifications in both arrests were flawed and could not be relied on by the courts to convict Bady of any crime.
The victim in the unarmed robbery was drunk at the time of the crime, and the shooter who fired a handgun in the January 2022 incident was wearing a mask that covered the lower part of his face, according to court records.
Court records indicated both cases were dismissed “for lack of prosecution.”
The region saw a series of violent incidents over the last several days. On Saturday night, a 17-year-old boy was wounded and later died following a shooting in front of a Lynn Market Basket, according to Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker.
And in Methuen early Sunday, Tucker said, seven people were shot, two critically, when gunfire erupted at a gathering of hundreds of people, also in Essex county.
Ryan on Monday condemned recent fatal shootings in Middlesex county, including Dickey’s death. “We just cannot continue to countenance this kind of violence, the use of firearms, and the using of a firearm in an argument and turning that from an argument to the tragic loss of life,” Ryan said. Since May 3, there have been five shootng deaths in Middlesex county, she said.
“We just cannot continue to countenance this kind of violence, the use of firearms, and the using of a firearm in an argument and turning that from an argument to the tragic loss of life,” Ryan said.
Dickey’s family asked for privacy, Ryan said. Outside Dickey’s home Monday, numerous candles and bouquets of flowers were left on the doorstep. Several of the candles had messages left for Dickey, written in marker.
“Always & forever baby girl you will be missed but never forgotten,” one message said.
Another read, simply: “Miss you.”
Across the street, Sai Pavan, 26, a clerk at Jerry’s Food Store, said he remembered Dickey as a bright presence when she and her family would stop by for soda and snacks.
“She was a nice girl, she was always smiling,” he said. “She had a bright future… it’s so sad.”
Shannon Larson and Jeremiah O’Manion of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.
John Hilliard can be reached at [email protected]. John R. Ellement can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @JREbosglobe.
Elaine Hadley is a dedicated journalist covering the ever-evolving landscape of U.S. news. With a keen interest in politics and a commitment to uncovering the truth, she provides insightful commentary and in-depth analysis on domestic issues. When not reporting, Elaine enjoys exploring the diverse cultures and landscapes of the United States.
