Bloody Shoe Print and Restraining Order Focus Investigation in Norwood Bar Double Murders-August 17, 1982

Firefighters used saws to cut out a section of the wooden flooring inside the tavern at 1118 Washington Street to preserve the bloodstained print. Gil, 37, a prominent local figure and two-time candidate for selectman, and Doherty, 51, were found stabbed to death yesterday morning by the establishment’s custodian.

Police investigating the double homicide in South Norwood have questioned several individuals, including Gil’s estranged husband, Walenty, 44, from whom she filed for divorce in April citing cruel and abusive treatment. According to Dedham Probate Court records, Gil obtained a temporary restraining order in the spring directing her husband to stay away, stating in court papers filed on April 21 that he had come to her building and “threatened bodily harm.” Police officers who went to Walenty Gil’s home on Woodward Street in South Boston last night to search the premises and question him reported that he grabbed a Boston patrolman by the throat before being subdued. While being transported in a police cruiser to Dorchester, he kicked out a window, leading to his arraignment in South Boston District Court on charges of assault and battery on a police officer and willful destruction of property.

Assistant District Attorney Robert Banks disclosed that an autopsy showed Gil had been stabbed five times in the chest, while Doherty sustained stab wounds to the back and stomach. One investigator noted that it appeared Doherty was “trying to run away” when attacked. Gil’s body was discovered lying in a pool of blood behind the bar, and Doherty’s body was found a short distance away on a stairway. Police Chief George DiBlasi stated that the stabbings occurred sometime after 1 a.m., though robbery was not considered the primary motive.

The victims and Gil’s 17-year-old son, John, lived in apartments above the bar. John Kotak, a 27-year-old carpenter who arrived around 6:20 a.m. to clean the tavern, discovered the unlocked back door open and the bodies inside. Chuck Drinkwater, who lived in another upstairs apartment, recalled finding investigators huddled around Doherty’s body, noting, “Frank had his bathrobe on and the back door keys in his hand. He must have gone down because he heard something.” Drinkwater added that Gil may have tried to reach the telephone behind the bar while Doherty attempted to help: “Frank must have tried to help her. You could see he got as far as the kitchen because you could see his blood in there. The way I figure it, he must have gone to bed and forgot to lock the back door. Maria often stays up reading. Her book is probably still cracked open on the bar.”

The tragedy deeply stunned the close-knit South Norwood community, where neighbors and patrons gathered outside to remember the victims. Gil was widely known for her generosity, hosting traditional Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter holiday dinners for underprivileged area residents whom she called her “boys,” and providing housing and support for struggling youths. Al Walker, a local resident, remembered her compassion, stating, “The door was always open. You didn’t have to have money or anything. She was just concerned that people should have a place to go on the holidays.” Gerry Kane, a former bartender for Gil, added, “She was a super woman… I mean really super. She was such a warm human being. Anyone who ever needed help, she was there.” Walker described Doherty as a “good easy-going guy. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.” While Gil had experienced past legal battles with town hall regarding rooming house regulations and licensing hours, friends and patrons remembered her for her warmth and community spirit as police pressed their homicide investigation.

(Reporting by Jack Keough and Mark Zabriskie, The Patriot Ledger).

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger