This Just In: The making of Nicholas Alahverdian; a mother grieves again

Also, the Champlin's Marina case goes to the Supreme Court. [providencejournal.com]( This Just In Thursday, April 7 [Nicholas Alahverdian and his tattoos, photographed in 2010 by Pawtucket police. Shown on his right arm are, from top, the red, black and white coat of arms of Brown University and a cluster of feathers.]( [The making of Nicholas Alahverdian; a mother grieves again]( Also, the Champlin's Marina case goes to the Supreme Court. Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal, and it's nice to see some real baseball on TV, even if it's not the Red Sox. Before he became a familiar face as a child-welfare advocate at the Rhode Island State House, before he was implicated in assaults on women in four states, before he faked his own death and before he turned up under an alias in a Scottish hospital, Nicholas Alahverdian had a turbulent childhood marked by episodes of violence and upheaval. Tom Mooney, who has followed this saga for more than a year, spoke to some of the people who knew Alahverdian well when he was a boy – including his father's brother, and his stepfather, David Rossi  – for clues into how [his early years set the stage for a life of deception]( Today, the man authorities say is Alahverdian, but who insists that he is just a simple Englishman named Arthur Knight, appeared in an Edinburgh court for a preliminary extradition hearing. [He was more than two hours late]( and the judge was not amused. Last week, when a Superior Court judge ordered the release of three men convicted of murder as teenagers, it triggered [a new cycle of grief]( for Joanne Bishop. In 1999, Bishop's son John Cumiskey was gunned down by one of the men, Joao Neves , in a robbery gone bad. Neves's release follows the passage of a law last year to give people who committed crimes in their youth a chance to prove after 20 years that they are rehabilitated and possibly get a reprieve from their life sentences. Today, the Superior Court judge, Stephen Nugent, [refused the state's request to stay]( the release until the Supreme Court weighs in on an appeal. Speaking of the Supreme Court, the justices heard arguments yesterday on a case that is two decades in the making. By this summer, they are expected to issue the final word on whether [a controversial marina expansion proposal can go forward]( on Block Island. The Rhode Island Department of Health today reported no new coronavirus-related deaths and 398 additional cases of COVID-19, along with 5,595 negative tests, for a 6.6% positive rate. There were 49 COVID-positive patients in Rhode Island hospitals at last count, up from 45 reported yesterday, with four in intensive care. Rhode Island has reported an average of 253 new cases a day over the last seven days, up 42% from a week ago and up 56% from two weeks ago. On the bright side, the last COVID-related death confirmed by the state Health Department occurred two weeks ago, on March 24. The Health Department reports that East Greenwich and Barrington – the towns with the highest per-capita incomes in Rhode Island – had the highest rate of new cases last week, followed by Middletown, Bristol and Newport. With the Eleanor Slater Hospital just a week away from potentially losing federal aid, members of the House Finance Committee [will have a chance tonight]( to grill leaders of the state agency that runs the hospital. Across the country, casinos got off to their strongest start ever in 2022, but [that has not been the case]( the Bally's casinos in Lincoln and Tiverton, according to the American Gaming Association. With prices at the pump still high, some Rhode Island politicians are lining up behind a suspension of the gas tax. But Gov. Dan McKee [is not one of them](. No runners from Russia or Belarus [will be allowed to compete in this month's Boston Marathon]( Finally, if it's the start of baseball season, that means football fans are really thinking about the NFL Draft. Right on cue, Mark Daniels presents [his first Patriots mock draft]( of the year.  Have a great night. And remember, if you enjoy This Just In, [please encourage a friend to sign up]( [Discover more with our newsletters: Get the latest headlines, things to do and more in your inbox. Sign up here.]( [click here]( Problem viewing email? [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Manage Newsletters]( • [Terms of Service]( • [Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights]( • [Privacy Notice]( • [Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy]( • [Feedback]( © 2022 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902