Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

By John Hill
Journal staff writer

PROVIDENCE -- A Warren man pleaded not guilty this morning to charges that he murdered his parents, dumped their bodies in a backyard cesspool and then used their credit cards to go on a 12-day shopping spree with his girlfriend last July.

James W. Soares, Jr., 24, (right) of 14 Baltimore St., pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and two counts of failure to report a death in connection with the murder of his parents, James, 60, and Marian Soares, 53, on or around July 7, 2008. He was also charged with 64 counts related to the illegal use of his dead parents' credit cards from the time of their murders to his arrest July 25. He has been held at the Adult Correctional Institutions since then.

Also charged with 64 identical financial crime counts was his girlfriend, Nicole Pacheco, 20, (left) of 41 Thompson Ave., Bristol. She was not charged in connection with the killings, and "at this time there is no evidence she had any role in the murders," said Michael Healey, spokesman for Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch.

Superior Court Associate Justice William E. Carnes ordered Soares held without bail. He set a $100,000 surety bond for Pacheco, pending a Feb. 6 pre-trial hearing. Pacheco's bond amount on the financial charges is academic, however, said Healey, because she is also being charged as a parole violator on two previous misdemeanor convictions, and parole violators are held without bail.

Lynch was in the courtroom for Soares' arraignment, sitting behind three rows of members of the dead couple's extended families. Lynch said they did not wish to comment on the proceedings.

In a press conference outside the Superior Court courthouse after Saores and Pacheco were taken from the courtroom, Lynch said the state's theory of the crime is that Soares killed his parents, dumped their bodies in the family's backyard cesspool and then went on a multiple state "spending spree" using his parents' credit cards.

The financial charges for both Soares and Pacheco include 20 counts of credit-card fraud, 29 counts of obtaining money under false pretenses, nine counts of computer fraud, four counts of conspiracy and two counts of conspiracy to commit a crime outside of the state of Rhode Island.

Lynch said the couple used the cards to buy goods, such as televisions, at stores and on the Internet and then they either used the items themselves or tried to sell them to others for cash. Lynch said the purchases were worth "thousands" of dollars.

Though Lynch said Pacheco was not charged with participating in the murders, he said the state believes she knew the cards were being used illegally.

Lynch praised the work of the Warren Police Department and the state police in developing the case. He wouldn't say much about a possible motive.

"Motive doesn't matter in murder," Lynch said. "Two people are dead and we have an indictment for murder ... It may be that it was just greed."

Soares and Pacheco were charged in a sealed indictment that was opened this morning in court. Healey said the indictment was sealed because the state didn't want Pacheco to know she was going to be charged ahead of time. Pacheco turned herself in at the State Police barracks in Lincoln this morning.

About 18 family members were in the courtroom for Soares' and Pacheco's pleas, some with their eyes tearing but all silent, during the proceedings.

Lynch aid the family was "torn apart" because of having lost two loved ones and seeing a third charged with their deaths.

"This is a tough day," he said.

-- Journal staff photos by Gretchen Ertl

 Tags  Jr. murder Patrick Lynch Superior Court Warren

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