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Cape student identified as Allston murder victim

SpauldingFriends and Cape Cod Today are identifying the man stabbed to death at an Allston party early yesterday as Tony Spaulding, 21, of Harwich.

Spaulding was a student at the New England Institute of of Art in Brookline and had an interest in music production.

Brian MacDonald, 24, of Allston was arraigned in Brighton District Court today on a murder charge and ordered held in lieu of $500,000 bail, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, which provided this account:

Officers and detectives began interviewing witnesses, who told them that the victim resided at the Pratt Street scene and that the assailant and his girlfriend were guests at a party there.

Witnesses said that Spaulding exited his bedroom and told MacDonald to quiet down a short time after they arrived. This led to an almost immediate physical altercation between the two men, Broadbent said. In the course of that altercation, Spaulding and MacDonald tumbled down the stairs from the building's second floor to the first floor.

The two men went outside, the evidence suggests, where they were the only two men at the scene. A bystander separated the two and observed blood on both of them, [Assistant District Attorney Holly Broadbent] Broadbent told the court.

While it was not immediately clear who threw the first punch in the underlying fisticuffs, there was no evidence that Spaulding armed himself before or during the incident, prosecutors say. Witnesses did tell investigators that they had seen MacDonald with a knife at the party before the fight.

While some responding officers spoke to witnesses, others began following a blood trial that led away from the scene. Investigators soon learned MacDonald's identity by name and appearance and found that he lived at a Washington Street address where the blood trail ended. When taken into custody by Boston Police, he had injuries to his face and hand. Surveillance imagery from a nearby camera shows him fleeing the scene on foot, Broadbent said.

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Comments

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Boy, this does not look good for defendant. Hey, guy, when somebody tells you to keep your voice down IN THEIR OWN HOME, you shut the (expletive) up. Period. It's not a debate, no matter how much you wanted to make it one. If the accounts here are true, then you clearly started it, and deserve to be convicted and executed for this man's murder.

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Prison's a much more fitting punishment for his crimes.

Won't be too long before somebody in prison tells him to shut up or be quiet ... and he'll quickly receive and learn the consequences of being an idiot thug.

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I knew Tony well..there are no words to express the heart ache that immediately followed the news of his death..and than to learn he was murdered..I can't even process the reality of this devastation. He was an incredible young man, with a heart of gold..

I would like to add that there is an error on the bottom of this article stating that investigators learned the identity to be Spaulding who lives at a Washington Street address. This should say Brian McDonald.

Thankyou

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Hello! My name is Steve and I am one of Tony's 5 roommates. We know Tony like the backs of our hands. He is our best friend and I cannot express to you the amount of anguish that is being felt within our group of friends... Excuse me, our group of FAMILY. Tony never considered us friends, but ALWAYS considered us FAMILY. On January 1st EVERY MEMBER of our family tragically witnessed an unprovoked attack on Tony Spaulding by both Bianca Willard AND Brian Macdonald. He was stabbed to death RIGHT IN FRONT OF US unexpectedly. The image of this brutal attack will be burned in our FAMILY'S brains for the rest of our lives. These two individuals took the BEST thing that had ever happened to any of us, and we ALL witnessed it. Make no mistakes... Tony NEVER EVER EVER put a hand a hand on the accused. EVER! I saw the whole thing and NOT ONCE did Tony even raise his voice, and DEFINITELY not his fists. ANYONE who knows Tony will attest to this FACT. Please make no mistakes in your interpretation of the tragic events that STOLE our best friend from us.

Sincerely and Regretfully,

The #Allstonfam

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I know what it's like to witness violence like this. It stays with you forever. I think of a person who was very close to me and who was murdered EVERY day, and it's been 20 years. Not a single day goes by. Sometimes I'll wake up at 3AM and and the first thing that pops into my head is him. Sometimes when I wake up first thing in the morning, on a hot summer day, a cold winter afternoon, holidays, I think about him. It never goes away.

Sorry for your, and your and Tony's family's pain.

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I have known Brian's girlfriend (and you gave a false name, thank God) for almost my entire life. I spent this past Thanksgiving with them and family. I have NEVER seen him raise his voice or be violent in ANY way. I do not believe he could hurt a fly without being provoked. He is a very responsible and caring man. The facts also speak volumes- never been arrested and only had one speeding ticket. You cannot judge a man before he has had a fair trial, who are you people to judge?

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AMEN. thank you.
-BH

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It will all come out eventually, as it always does.

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who are we to judge? he murdered someone in front of all his friends. witnesses to the crime and anyone else affected by this could care less how he was only pulled over once... he killed a man; he deserves to go to jail.

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How is it a sad day for the defendant?! He murdered someone in cold blood and should pay the price to the fullest extent of the law. My heart and prayers go out to Tonys friends, family and parents. This is so sad, he had his whole life and promising future ahead of him. I met Tony one time and could already tell he was a very special individual and my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this. R.I.P. Tony! It's always the people who deserve it least that this happens to its just not fair. B E B

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