A Boston woman charged with a grisly murder on a houseboat claimed during a Friday arraignment she was totally unaware of the death, even as police say the woman was seen running and moving things near the bloodied body inside the boat just before her arrest.
"Nobody ever told me that this even happened at my house,” Nora Nelson, 24, said as she was remanded into pre-trial custody. “This is the first time I've even heard of this happening at my house."
Nelson was arraigned Friday on charges of felony murder in connection to the death of 65-year-old lawyer Joseph Donohue, who was found dead Sunday after his family sent police to his houseboat at a Charleston marina for a wellness check.
Nelson, who was arrested on the scene on unrelated warrants, has pleaded not guilty.
When police arrived at the door of the houseboat, Nelson gave a fake name and claimed Donohue was at a strip club, according to prosecutor Rita Muse. Officers insisted on coming inside.
"When he opened the sliding doors in the bedroom leading to a patio area [officers] saw what would later be identified as 65-year-old Joseph Donohue's body wrapped in a white and blue covering secured with duct tape and affixed with weights," Muse said.
She added that officers saw Nelson running and moving things around when they arrived at the house.
Detectives found fragments of Nelson’s pink fingernails stuck in the man’s chest, according to police. They also said they found blood and cleaning supplies nearby.
A source told 5 Investigates Donohue was stabbed so violently a knife blade broke off inside of his skull, and that one of his dogs was found dead in the water near the houseboat.
It was reported that he lived alone on the houseboat with his dogs. It’s unclear the relationship between suspect and victim.
“Our family is heartbroken by this unimaginable loss. Joe was a wonderful family member, a cherished friend, and a trusted colleague,” Donohue’s family told the station. “Always generous and kind, he dedicated his life and career to helping others. He is loved and will be deeply missed. We’re grateful for the love and support we’ve received, and we kindly ask for privacy during this difficult time.”
"Miss Nelson maintains her innocence and she'll present her defense at trial,” Nelson’s attorney Ian Davis told CBS News after the arraignment.
The 24-year-old has had past tangles with the law, including a 2023 arrest for allegedly assaulting her 63-year-old boyfriend, who claimed she owed him $300,000. Last year, she was reportedly sued for breaching a $2.6 million condo contract, and allegedly tried to use someone else’s credit card this January at a Hull hotel.
Nelson is being held without bail and will return to court on March 6.
