Commonwealth v. Laguer

In January, 1984, a Superior Court jury convicted the defendant, Benjamin Laguer, on four indictments charging him with the crimes of robbery, breaking and entering, assault and battery, and aggravated rape.1 The indictments stemmed from a brutal attack and sexual assault of a fifty-nine year old woman while she was alone in her Leominster apartment. On appeal, this court upheld the convictions.2

The principal issue at the trial was the identification of the assailant. Prior to trial, the defendant requested the disclosure of all exculpatory evidence, including fingerprints found in the…