Woman convicted for 2020 murder in Newmarket Square park

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today convicted Mary Fox, 42, of second-degree murder for the stabbing death of Michael Dezrick in Clifford Playground near Massachusetts Avenue and Shirley Street on Aug. 3, 2020, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 20. The verdict means a sentence of life in prison, but with the possibility of parole after a number of years set by the judge.

According to the DA's office, the two were at Clifford Playground when they got into an argument and then a fight over "payment for a beverage." Fox then left the park, but:

After some time, Fox returned to the park with another person and approached Dezrick, who was sleeping or just waking up, while sitting on one of the park benches. Fox approached Dezrick and stabbed him once in the chest before immediately leaving the area.

Dezrick was transported by EMS to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. After being stopped by the police, Fox initially denied any wrongdoing but then admitted to the stabbing , claiming she had to protect herself from an assault by the victim.

Prosecutors had sought a verdict of first-degree murder, which would have meant a sentence of life without parole.