Cambridge Man Pleads Guilty to Medford Manslaughter
Chris Toppi, 29, during his arraignment in Somerville District Court last year for the beating death of a Weymouth man in Medford in 2010. Photo courtesy Medford Daily Mercury.
– Allison Goldsberry
A Cambridge man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge of manslaughter in connection with the death of a Brian Fahy, 28, of Weymouth, who died in a fight at a Medford home in 2010.
Christopher Toppi, 29, of Cambridge, pled guilty today in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn to a charge of manslaughter, according to Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone. Middlesex Superior Court Judge Diane Kottmyer sentenced Toppi to fifteen to eighteen years in state prison.
“Christopher Toppi has now admitted and taken responsibility for his actions that resulted in his causing the death of a young man,†District Attorney Leone said. “This is a case where the defendant resorted to a seriously violent physical assault to settle differences that turned fatal. Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and friends.â€
Authorities say Toppi started a fight with Fahy and beat him to death in August of 2010 at a home on Salem Street. Toppi turned himself into authorities hours after the incident and after police issued a warrant for his arrest.
Toppi was initially charged with first degree murder and pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in August of 2010. It’s unclear when the murder charge was dropped and when Toppi was charged with manslaughter.
This case was investigated by the Medford Police Department and State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
Although 15 years is considered “justice” for the state, it will never bring Brian back or heal his family and friends. I’m glad one of the many people involved that night is finally admitting to something, but there are more people that were involved, and I hope that one day, they will realize that they were just guilty of this murder as Chris was.