Gerrard Kaonga
The final text message that a pregnant 18-year-old sent to her sister before her death has been revealed in court.
Kylee Monteiro, from Rehoboth, Massachusetts, was reported missing by Rehoboth Police on August 7.
The teenager was three months pregnant at the time of her disappearance, and after a two-week intensive search, her 22-year-old boyfriend, Gregory Groom, was arrested on Tuesday (August 19).
After his arrest, human remains believed to belong to Monterio were discovered on his property in his backyard.
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The charges against Groom include murder, assault and battery on a pregnant victim, aggravated intimidation of a witness, juror, police or court official and assault and battery on a family or household member in connection with Monterio's death - which he has pled not guilty to at his arraignment in Taunton District Court on Wednesday (August 20).
According to prosecutor Jason Mohan, it all began on August 8 when Groom came to the police and reported Kylee missing.
Mohan said that Groom claimed to investigators that Kylee had just left a residential program, took a rideshare to his home on August 6, and was looking to stay with him.
It was then, he says, that she also told him that she was pregnant with his child.
Following this, Mohan says, an argument allegedly broke out about where Kylee could stay, and afterwards, she sent a text to her sister, which was read aloud in court (via CBS News).
It said: “He threw me on the ground and pulled my hair and strangled me. My phones at 4 percent, if I die it was Greg.”
Upon his arrest, Groom was interviewed again by police, where Mohan claims he admitted to having an argument with his girlfriend, pushing her and claimed that she fell back and hit her head.
He was then allegedly asked where her body was buried and drew a 'rudimentary map' of his home and where her body lay.
Mohan also claimed that Groom then told investigators that he'd killed Kylee after an argument, stabbing her three times with a kitchen knife, once in the chest and twice in the neck.
Upon inspection of the property, officials discovered a patch of dirt which appeared to be recently disturbed, where they located the body.
An autopsy is set to go ahead to give a final confirmation of death. Groom is currently being held without bail and is due back in court for a probable cause hearing on September 10.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247