A medical examiner has now made the ruling that turns the death of 18-year-old Yoseliani Ann Marte Ocasio into a murder investigation.
Her death was a homicide.
Marte was found with a gunshot wound inside a Mattapan rental property owned by Conan Harris, the husband of far-left “Squad” Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA).
Nearly two weeks after the grim discovery, the case has moved from a death investigation to a confirmed homicide with no arrest publicly announced.
The Boston Globe reported that the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner formally ruled Marte’s death a homicide on Thursday, July 30.
The 18-year-old died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Boston Police homicide detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances of her killing.
No suspect has been publicly identified, and authorities have announced no charges.
The ruling came 12 days after Marte was found on July 18; an autopsy performed the following day established the gunshot wound as the cause of death, while the manner remained pending until the additional forensic work was completed. The homicide finding confirms that her death resulted from another person’s action rather than an accident or self-inflicted injury.
The local report also made clear that investigators have not tied Pressley, Harris, or the property’s ownership to the shooting. The political connection is part of the address’s public record, not an allegation that the owners took part in the crime.
18-year-old victim inside Rep. Pressley's husband's home was shot dead, medical examiner confirmshttps://t.co/lkprZbv0y9
— Mass Daily News (@MassDailyNews) July 30, 2026
The police response began shortly before 2 p.m. on July 18, after someone walked into Boston Police District E-18 and reported that a person had been shot at 25 Malta Street.
CBS News Boston reported that officers entered the property, conducted a protective sweep, and found Marte in a rear bedroom of the building’s second apartment.
She was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy the following day established the gunshot wound as the cause of death, but additional forensic testing was required before the manner of death was finalized.
That final determination has now come back: homicide.
The incident report placed the body near a rear bedroom in the second-floor apartment; the walk-in report specifically concerned a person who had been shot, prompting officers to enter the building and sweep the residence before locating Marte. The report did not identify the person who alerted police.
City property records reviewed by the station list Harris as the owner. The house is a two-story, seven-bedroom rental assessed at roughly $919,000 and had been offered for sale for $1.15 million.
Marte’s family had been demanding answers before the medical examiner’s ruling became public.
Boston 25 News identified the victim through her mother, Elenie Ocasio, who described her daughter as deeply loved, kind, intelligent, and full of promise.
Ocasio said she believed her daughter’s death involved domestic violence and that she wanted justice. Police have not publicly confirmed that allegation or identified a suspect.
The grieving mother said she believed she knew who might be responsible, but authorities have not endorsed that claim. Her public appeal centered on finding accountability for her daughter, not on the property’s famous political connection.
Friends remembered Marte as intelligent and full of life, with plans for college and a future that was only beginning. A memorial outside the Malta Street property included candles, balloons, teddy bears, and a smiling photograph of the teenager.
Las autoridades de Boston, Massachusetts, declararon como homicidio la muerte de Yoseliani Ann Marte Ocasio, una joven dominicana de 18 años, cuyo cuerpo fue hallado el pasado 18 de julio con una herida de bala en una vivienda ubicada en el sector de Mattapan.#elavance pic.twitter.com/OiTZhekMOK
— El Avance Media (@elavancemedia) August 2, 2026
Property records identify Harris as the owner of the two-story, seven-bedroom house. Pressley and Harris do not live at the Malta Street address; it is a rental property that had been listed for sale.
Police have said there is no indication that the property’s owners are connected to Marte’s death.
Pressley’s office offered condolences to the young woman’s family after the body was discovered and said neither the congresswoman nor her family was involved in the incident.
The Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is responsible for determining the cause and manner of deaths involving violent, suspicious, or unexplained circumstances.
Its ruling removes any remaining uncertainty about how Marte died. The unanswered question now belongs to Boston Police: who killed her?
Anyone with information can contact the Boston Police Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470. Anonymous tips can be submitted through CrimeStoppers at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting “TIP” to CRIME.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
