Press Releases

Accessory Charge against Brockton Woman Upgraded to Murder in Brutal Death of Boyfriend



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Contact:  Beth Stone- (508) 584-8120

BROCKTON – A Brockton woman who first alerted police to her boyfriend’s mortally
wounded body has now been charged with his murder, Plymouth County District Attorney
Timothy J. Cruz has announced.
Kathryn R. Podgurski (DOB: 10/26/83) of Brockton was arrested Saturday afternoon and
charged with one count of Accessory after Murder in the death of Podgurski’s boyfriend, Joseph
E. Shaw (DOB: 01/07/73). After further investigation by State Police Detectives and Brockton
Police, this morning that charge was upgraded to Murder and Podgurski was arraigned in
Brockton District Court. She pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail.
On Friday, July 21, at approximately 9:49 pm, Brockton Police received a phone call
from a relative of Podgurski’s, reporting that Podgurski said men had entered her apartment,
attempted to rob her and Shaw, and then the men killed Shaw and made Podgurski clean up the
blood. The caller then directed Brockton Police to the Elm Court Hotel. Police responded and
spoke to the clerk at the hotel but were unable to locate anything. At that point, Podgurski
flagged police down and directed them to her third-floor apartment at 42 Green Street, where she
lived with Shaw. Police found Shaw’s body in a closet, buried under several items of clothing
and bedding, a chair and kitty litter. It was apparent to police that Shaw had been deceased for
some period of time. There were multiple, severe stab wounds and cuts to the victim consistent
with a homicide. A family member had reported Shaw missing to Brockton Police on Monday,
July 17.
Brockton Police contacted State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County
District Attorney’s Office and an investigation commenced. State Police and Brockton Police
conducted interviews and executed search warrants as part of their investigation. The Office of
the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the cause of Shaw’s death was multiple sharp force
injuries and the manner of death was homicide. The Medical Examiner found Shaw to have been
stabbed or cut more than 30 times and Shaw’s lower left portion of his leg and his right arm was
severed below the elbow.

The charge alleges that Podgurski killed Shaw, hid his body in the apartment closet and told police the killing was committed by others during a botched robbery.

Podgurski is next scheduled to appear in court on August 24, 2017.

The investigation by State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and Brockton Police is ongoing.

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July 24, 2017