The Massachusetts State Police barracks located at 51 Temahigan Ave. in Oak Bluffs is officially closing its doors to overnight guests at the temporary housing units where troopers stay during seasonal assignments on the Island and Nantucket.
The decision comes after an incident that allegedly occurred at the barracks on August 15, in which a woman said she was raped by Edward Brown, a Boston Latin Academy security administrator who was on-Island to visit Ryan Costello, a state trooper on assignment on Martha’s Vineyard.
Brown was arraigned on a felony rape charge at the Edgartown District Courthouse on Tuesday, Oct. 13, when Assistant District Attorney Courtney Scalice said the alleged victim woke up naked in bed in an unfamiliar location, and when she tried to leave, a man matching Brown’s description forced himself on top of her and raped her while she was kicking and screaming. Oak Bluffs received 911 calls of a “distressed female, naked, on the side of the road,” according to a press release from the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office, by the barracks at 12:57 am on August 15. She was taken to the hospital, where a SANE (sexual assault nurse examiner) kit was administered.
Since the arraignment, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble has prohibited overnight guests at the temporary housing units on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. He is also directing the development of a formal written policy that requires troopers to receive written approval from the barracks commander for visitors to enter non-public areas of the property and for visitors to remain accompanied at all times.
“These allegations are deeply troubling,” Noble said in a statement shared with The Times. “The Massachusetts State Police are fully cooperating with the ongoing criminal investigation and conducting an internal review of applicable policies, visitor authorization procedures, and compliance with established requirements. I am committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety, security, and accountability at all State Police facilities and ensuring that any identified deficiencies are addressed with appropriate corrective action.”
Sgt. James Webster, the current station commander at the Oak Bluffs barracks, declined to comment, and directed further questions to State Police media relations.
Brown’s charges stem from an ongoing investigation into the incident by Oak Bluffs Police. An internal affairs investigation by the state department also remains open and active. The incident and culture of Massachusetts State Police was a topic presented to Gov. Maura Healey and Republican candidate Mike Minogue at the final gubernatorial debate last Thursday.
Brown pleaded not guilty at the courthouse on Oct. 13 and was released with conditions, including a stay away and no contact order with the alleged victim and any potential witnesses, after posting a $10,000 bail. Brown’s next event at the Edgartown courthouse is a pretrial hearing scheduled for Dec. 11.
