Alberto L. Sierra Jr. Identified As Man Charged With Killing Boy 9 Years After 5-Year-Old Was Found in Suitcase

A Massachusetts man has been charged in the death of a 5-year-old child, whose body was discovered in a suitcase near an interstate nine years ago.

Alberto L. Sierra Jr., aged 32, entered a plea of not guilty to a murder charge on Thursday.

A man from Fitchburg has been accused of the murder of Jeremiah Oliver, who was also a resident of the city. Fitchburg has a population of approximately 42,000 and is located about 20 miles north of Worcester.

Sierra was identified as the boyfriend of the boy’s mother.

According to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, Jeremiah was reported missing in late 2013 and his body was discovered in a suitcase off I-190 in Sterling on April 18, 2014.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the medical examiner’s office has classified the manner of death as homicide and the cause as “homicidal violence of undetermined etiology.”

Sierra was arrested on Wednesday on charges of murder and disinterring of a body. The individual is currently being detained in jail without the possibility of bail. It remains uncertain from the information available online whether or not the individual has secured legal representation.

The district attorney’s office has released a news statement that did not provide any specific information regarding the recent arrest and indictments.

According to the district attorney’s office, Sierra admitted to committing assault and battery against the mother and two out of her three children in 2017. A verdict was reached and the defendant received a sentence of six to seven years in prison.

At the moment, no charges had been filed against him in relation to the death of the boy.

According to the district attorney’s office, Elsa Oliver, the mother of the boy, pleaded guilty in 2017 to assault and battery and two counts of reckless endangerment of a child. She was subsequently sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison.

Prior to Jeremiah’s disappearance, Elsa Oliver and the children had reportedly been in contact with the state Department of Children and Families.

According to a report by the state Office of the Child Advocate, a social worker and two supervisors were fired following the disappearance and death of Oliver and her children. The social worker had failed to make regular visits to the family.

According to a statement released by the state, changes have been made to procedures such as home visits and case reviews.