1975

In the last column I reported the death of Paul McLaughlin. Chris Clarke, Paul's roommate at Dartmouth, sent us a full account of events: "I have tragic news. Our classmate Paul McLaughlin was murdered on September 25 in West Roxbury, Mass. Paul, an assistant attorney general for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, was getting into his car at the train station in West Roxbury shortly after 7 p.m. when he was approached by a young man who killed him with a single shot. Paul's death had many of the markings of a 'hit' and investigators believe he may have been a victim of the gang violence he tried so hard to curb in his work as a prosecutor. As of early November the crime remained unsolved.

There was an outpouring of grief and outrage at this heinous act from around Boston and across the nation. The line at Paul's wake in West Roxbury stretched down Centre Street, with mournersmany of them people Paul had touched through his work or community activities—waiting as long as two hours to pay their final respects. Paul's funeral was attended by Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry and Gov. William Weld. A message of condolence to Paul's parents from President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton was read. Paul was eulogized by Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harsh barger and Suffolk County District Attorney Ralph Martin 11.

In his eulogy Ralph Martin called Paul a gentle pilgrim, and those who knew Paul will understand how apt a description that was. Paul's life had a mission that he was fulfilling by trying to stop violence in our communities. A veteran prosecutor specializing in drug, weapons, and gang-related crimes, Paul was very good at what he did. He had a conviction rate of nearly 75 percent, something that Paul, characteristically, was too modest to tell his family and friends. At the same time Paul had a reputation as a prosecutor who wasn't simply looking to convict at all costs. In the months before his death Paul was on assignment with the Suffolk County district attorney's office overseeing the Safe Neighborhood Initiative, an innovative program that seeks to attack crime through the intensive, coordinated efforts of police, prosecutors, social agencies, neighborhood groups, and businesses.

Paul was a lifelong resident of Boston, a city he knew intimately and loved dearly. He graduated from Boston Latin School before matriculating at Dartmouth, where he was a religion major, contributing editor of the Dartmouth Course Guide, and president of Gamma Delta Chi. He later attended Suffolk University Law School at night, graduating cum laude and passing the bar in 1981. Except for a one-year stint with a Boston law firm, Paul spent his legal career as a prosecutor. He had been an assistant attorney general since 1991.

Paul came from an extended Dartmouth family. His father, Ed, is a member of the class of 1942 and his brothers, Ted, Bob, and Rick, are members of the classes of 1970, 1976 and 1978, respectively.

Tom Strong and I, Paul's close friends and roommates with him in Massachusetts Hall freshman and sophomore years, were honorary pallbearers at the funeral Mass at St. Theresa of Avila Church in West Roxbury on September 30, the saddest day of our lives." Paul will be missed.

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