Assistant Lynn Tech Football Coach Charged in Stabbing: Faces Assault to Murder and Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon Charges

An assistant football coach for Lynn Tech has been charged in the stabbings of two youth from the school, both of whom were reportedly on the football team, in an incident that involves a young woman.

According to court records and prosecutors in the case the assistant football coach Joel Devaney, 20, of 69 Robinson Street, was with the alleged assailant in the case, Azariah Ball, 21, of 3 River Street Place, when an argument broke out between Devaney and one of the victims, over the young woman. The woman is a former girlfriend of Devaney and is currently dating one of the victims.

The judge ordered Devaney held on $2,500 cash bail, but said that the state does not have a strong case against the assistant coach, who has reportedly cooperated with the investigation from the beginning.

The victims, 16-year old and 17-year old males, were stabbed on Tuesday, February 25, 2014, at about 5 p.m., near to the school.

Ball is alleged to have stabbed the two victims and was previously charged in the incident. He is currently being held on $11k cash bail.

However, according to prosecutors, Devaney is alleged to have known that Ball was carrying a knife on the day of the incident and at some point prior to the attack allegedly threatened the victims with the knife.

Essex Assistant District Attorney Andrew Boyd told the court that Devaney’s former girlfriend has testified that Devaney had threatened the two victims with the knife saying, “she better go get them (the victims) before I pull a knife on them.”

Devaney was arraigned last Friday, March 7, in Lynn District Court on two counts charges of assault to murder joint venture and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (shod foot) for allegedly kicking one of the victims when he was on the ground. He pleaded not guilty the charges.

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