Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Troy Gunderway (age 46), of Warwick, pleaded guilty today to the August 1, 2015 murder of Fernando Silva, who was affectionately known as "Captain Freddy." He also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery. Under the terms of the plea, which took place before Superior Court Justice Brian P. Stern, Gunderway will be sentenced at a later date. He is facing a maximum penalty of life in prison.
During the plea hearing, the State read the facts of the case into the record. Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove that on the evening of July 31, 2015, Gunderway and Richard Baribault learned that Captain Freddy had earlier won several hundred dollars playing Keno. The two men conspired to steal the money.
They drove to the marina where Captain Freddy lived on his boat and boarded the vessel. Captain Freddy, who was asleep at the time, awoke to noises and found Gunderway and Baribault in the cabin of the boat. Baribault struck Captain Freddy in the face several times. Gunderway then restrained Freddy by holding him in a head lock for several minutes while Baribault searched the boat for Freddy's winnings. During the assault, Baribault forcefully held a pocket knife to Freddy's neck and stomach demanding the money and kicked Freddy several times throughout the assault and robbery. Captain Freddy died as a result of the blunt force trauma he sustained during the violent attack.
Over the next several days, the two men then attempted several times to hide their crime. On one occasion, they attempted to move the boat but the motor failed. They returned later in the day with a new motor, but it too failed to start. On another occasion, they brought a cooler containing bleach, a cinder block, and rope to the boat and cleaned the boat using the bleach.
On August 4, 2015 Baribault and Gunderway returned to the boat where they were able to start the original motor. Gunderway piloted the boat to a scenic overlook area of Warwick Cove, dropped anchor, and abandoned the vessel. He used the dinghy to row to shore, where he was picked up by Baribault.
A few days later, Baribault and Gunderway realized that the boat had moved from the location where it was moored. After a search of Warwick Cove, they located the boat in the spot where the body was eventually located by Harbormaster Jeff Barris.
The case against Baribault is pending.
Warwick Police Detective Sgt. Mark Canning and Lt. Scott Robillard led the investigation and Special Assistant Attorney General Timothy Healy and Special Assistant Attorney General Matthew LaMountain prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.