By Lisa Redmond
Lowell Sun
WOBURN, Mass. — “I made a mistake,” a desperate Allison Myrick texted to her new boyfriend, John O’Brien, in the hours before she was allegedly killed at the hands of her previous boyfriend, Robert Gulla.
In Middlesex Superior Court Tuesday, O’Brien, 21, testified that on the night of Jan. 22, 2010, he and Myrick, both Fitchburg State University students, had a fight and then made up.
But later that night, 19-year-old Myrick apparently called Gulla and asked him to bring her to his Shirley home.
It was the last time anyone saw her alive.
O’Brien testified that on Jan. 23, 2010, he received another chilling text message from Myrick: “I’m so scared ... He (Gulla) went through my phone again.’'
O’Brien testified he was getting an “uneasy feeling.”
Prosecutor Lisa McGovern showed the jury cellphone records that saved the text messages. In those messages, Myrick texted O’Brien that she was going to take the train back to Fitchburg.
“Please tell me you are OK,” O’Brien texted back.
But there was no response.
O’Brien sent her a message that he would meet her at the train station. But after watching all passengers disembark the 6:45 p.m. train, Myrick was not among them.
About the same time O’Brien was at the Fitchburg station, Kimberly Vanderzee was returning to her 4 Morin Road home in Shirley to find Myrick and her son at the bottom of the basement stairs. Myrick was dead, allegedly killed by Gulla, 19. Her son had tried to commit suicide.
In earlier testimony, Ayer Fire Department paramedic Jeff Swenson testified that as Gulla was being given medical aid at the scene, he noticed in Gulla’s blood-covered left hand were 10 strands of long hair.
Gulla, 21, is on trial in Middlesex Superior Court charged with first-degree murder and violation of a restraining order in the Groton woman’s death.
Myrick’s friend and former dorm roommate, Abby Brown, 21, testified that Myrick introduced her to Gulla in September 2009 as the couple were arguing outside a dorm. Brown said she saw Myrick and Gulla together again at an off-campus Halloween party where they appeared affectionate.
In December 2009, a friendship between Myrick and O’Brien blossomed into a romantic relationship, Brown testified. But during Christmas break later that month, Myrick returned to spending time with Gulla.
When classes resumed in late January 2010, Myrick had broken it off with Gulla and obtained a restraining order against him, Brown testified.
At one point Tuesday, Brown burst into tears on the stand.
Brown testified that Myrick had invited Gulla to visit her at school on Jan. 22, 2010, but Brown talked her out of it. The next thing she knew, Myrick’s mother called her to tell her Myrick was dead.
Copyright 2012 MediaNews Group, Inc.
All Rights Reserved