Murder at Essex Landing

Family members find man dead in his apartment; police chase leads to recovery of car reportedly related to homicide investigation

  A 2021 black Dodge Charger involved in a police chase on Monday has been linked to the investigation of a man found murdered in his apartment last Saturday. But the driver who was arrested for multiple crimes related to the police chase was not charged in connection with the killing of Michael Norton, 26, whose body was discovered by family members inside his apartment at Essex Landing at 44 Collins Ave. in Saugus, off of Route 1 South. Police and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office won’t say whether he has anything to do with the crime.

  As of press time yesterday (Thursday, Dec. 16), nobody had been arrested for Norton’s death, which police determined to be a homicide. There have been several media reports that the Saugus man was tied up, tortured and beaten. Police have not released any details about how Norton died.

  Meanwhile, Jorge Delgado Medina, 25, was arraigned in Lynn District Court on Tuesday for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, negligent operation and failure to stop for police – charges related to the car chase in Saugus on Tuesday.

  “The police report – which was read in court at arraignment – states that the car was of interest, which is why SPD [Saugus Police Department] attempted to stop it,” Essex County District Attorney spokeswoman Carrie Kimball told The Saugus Advocate this week.

  “We never said one way or another if he was a person of interest,” Kimball said. She declined to say whether Medina is a person of interest or suspect in the murder investigation.

  Medina, a former Everett resident, is serving a federal sentence for drug dealing while living in a sober house in Boston.

  Judge Sally Ann Janulevicus set his bail at $10,000. If he is able to make bail, the judge ordered that he be home confined with a GPS monitoring device. A pretrial hearing is set for Jan. 19, 2022.

  Defense Attorney Jeff Sweeney is representing Medina. Assistant District Attorney Jen Capone is prosecuting the case.

  In 2017, a federal judge sentenced Medina to six years in prison and three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. On July 20, 2016, federal agents found Medina in possession of about 270 grams of crack cocaine in a Lynn apartment. He was arrested after law enforcement officers captured a federal fugitive at the apartment where they also recovered crack cocaine, marijuana and three handguns.

  Medina’s latest police encounter began Monday morning after police spotted the black Dodge Charger with a Vermont company-registered license plate – which had been the subject of a Be On the Look Out bulletin which reported it may be connected to the murder case at Essex Landing. The car had been spotted on Boston Street in Lynn and headed to Saugus. An officer tried to stop the car, which pulled over before leading police on a chase. After turning onto Gilway Street and attempting a sharp turn at a high speed, the car hit a wall and then a tree in front of a home – which was nearly struck, according to police. Medina got out of the car and surrendered to police after the crash.

  State Police detectives assigned to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office and Saugus Police continue to investigate the murder, according to Kimball.

  Erica Ramos, who identified herself as a cousin of Norton, organized a GoFundMe page to help raise money to cover the victim’s funeral expenses. By yesterday, the page had raised about $25,000. “We want to give Michael ‘Mikey’ Norton the memorial he deserves, to honor his memory and say our last goodbyes,” Ramos said in a post.

  “Mikey was brutally murdered in Saugus, MA in his own home this past weekend, at only 26 years young. One person of interest has been found today (12/13/21) after leading the police on a chase. Let’s all pray for Justice! [thank you] Amen,” she said.