A Winchester man has been arraigned on four counts of first-degree murder in connection with a quadruple homicide in Winchester, a news release from Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said Thursday, Sept. 2. Thomas Mortimer IV, 43, was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on four counts of murder in the first degree.

Middlesex Superior Court Clerk Magistrate Michael Sullivan ordered the defendant held without bail. His next court date is Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. in courtroom 630 for a motions hearing.

Globe, Sept. 3: Suspect wrote confession after slayings

According to authorities, the four victims’ bodies were discovered on June 16 at approximately 11:30 am inside a residence at 2 Windsong Lane by a relative who was accompanied by Town of Winchester Emergency Responder personnel during a well being check.

A crime scene warrant was subsequently obtained and authorities were able to enter the premises and determine that four victims were deceased, two adult females and two children.

The victims were identified as Thomas Mortimer, age 4; Charlotte Mortimer, age 2; the children’s mother, Laura Stone Mortimer, age 41; and Laura’s mother, Ragna Ellen Stone, age 64.

Authorities from the Winchester police and State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office immediately began an investigation into the deaths and a crime scene search warrant was executed.

Attempts to locate the fifth resident of the home, the defendant, were conducted. During a search of the home, authorities found two printed copies of a letter the defendant is alleged to have written.

A search of the defendant’s computer revealed that at approximately 11:06 p.m. on June 14, the defendant allegedly created the first of the two letters in which he ultimately admitted responsibility for the murders.

The letters were completed prior to the computer being shut off at approximately 3:19 a.m. on June 15.

Authorities allege that the defendant murdered four members of his family sometime between 9:05 p.m. on June 14 and 7:10 a.m. on June 15. An arrest warrant charging the defendant with four counts of murder was issued on June 17.

The defendant was sighted in Montague, Mass., by a father and son later that same day. The witnesses then copied the plate number of the vehicle the defendant was driving and reported it to local police. The defendant was apprehended in Bernardston after attempting to flee and was arrested by members of the Bernardston Police Department at approximately 1:13 pm.

The defendant was arraigned on June 18 in Woburn District Court and ordered held without bail by Judge James Barretto. He was indicted by a Middlesex Grand Jury on Aug. 26. These charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Assistant District Attorneys assigned to the case are Adrienne Lynch and John McEvoy.

The victim witness advocate assigned is Anne Foley.

This case was investigated by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Winchester Police Department with assistance from the US Marshal Service, Montague Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Avon, Conn., Police Department, New Hampshire State Police and Bartlett, N.H. Police Department; Vermont State Police and Andover Police Department.