Details emerge of alleged murder of parents by daughter in Bedford

The Bedford woman accused of shooting her parents in a car this week appeared in court Thursday as new details emerged about the killings.

Jessica Cavallaro, 24, was ordered held without bail after being arraigned in Concord District Court. She faces two counts of murder, two counts of battery with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm. She will undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

Prosecutors say Cavallaro murdered his parents, Thelma Tatten and Mark Cavallaro, in a car on Washington Street in Bedford Thursday morning. Both were 56 years old.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said Thursday that a resident called police after Cavallaro entered their home and confessed to shooting her parents. Police found the two victims in a car on a nearby lawn with gunshot wounds to the head. Tatten was pronounced dead at the scene. Mark Cavallaro died at a local hospital.

Their daughter lived with her boyfriend at the Washington Street residence. She came home from work unexpectedly on Thursday, saying she had a panic attack, according to NBC 10 Boston.

She entered the house for about 30 minutes before getting in the car with her parents and shooting them, NBC 10 reported. They had planned to have breakfast together. Cavallaro then went back inside and confessed to her boyfriend's parents, who called 911, police said. Cavallaro was arrested at the scene.

The father of Cavallaro's boyfriend told police she may have gotten the murder weapon from a safe in his home, according to a police report obtained by The Boston Globe. He told authorities his son also owned guns and that there were at least four other weapons in the house.

While being arrested, Cavallaro told police she was “thinking about suicide,” according to the World. She listed herself as “medium risk” on a suicide assessment form.

A Facebook page that appears to have belonged to Cavallaro's parents raised money for a mental illness fundraiser in April. The fundraiser, appearing under the name Mark Cavallaro, was gathering donations for a walk organized by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

In a post accompanying the fundraiser, “Mark C” wrote that he had suffered from anxiety and bipolar disorder since childhood. He wrote enthusiastically about the services offered by the Edinburg Center, a facility in Bedford that helps people with mental health issues, substance use problems, developmental disabilities and brain injuries. The fundraiser raised $574, surpassing the goal of $250.

Cavallaro wrote that he taught guitar at the center. His name is listed as a “shining star recipient” in a Facebook post published by the Edinburgh Centre. It holds a “Night of Shining Stars” ceremony each year to celebrate employees and those the center serves. This year's event was scheduled for Thursday.

The couple lived on rue Genetti, according to World. Neighbors remembered them as a friendly couple who always made an effort to chat.

In a comment under a post about fundraising, a user who appears to be Mark Cavallaro mentioned his wife and his reasons for fundraising.

“I hope this walk will help raise awareness about mental health, but I just don't see enough of it, so I thought it was time for me to step up my efforts, it should be fun because Thelma will be by my side as always (she is MY rock), as will some of the great peers I'm going to groups with, I'm really looking forward to it,” the comment reads.

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