A New Hampshire man who is accused of fatally stabbing his brother-in-law in a hotel room in downtown Boston after an evening of birthday celebrations will be held without bail pending trial, authorities announced Monday. night.
Ren Rodgers, 23, of Hollis, was arraigned Monday in Boston Municipal Court on one count of murder, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement. Rodgers is accused of stabbing Christopher Kellar to death in a room at the Hotel Indigo Boston Garden on Saturday night, located at 280 Friend Street, just steps from TD Garden.
In court, Assistant District Attorney Tara Burdman alleged that Kellar and his girlfriend were in Boston on February 20 with Rodgers and his wife, who is Kellar’s sister, to celebrate the brothers’ birthdays.
While celebrating Kellar’s 21st birthday and Rodgers’s wife’s birthday, the ADA told the court that Kellar and his sister were involved in a verbal altercation.
Kellar left the hotel room with his belongings, but then returned to retrieve additional items shortly before 11:30 p.m., prosecutors said in court, at which point the altercation continued and Kellar began pushing his sister.
At that point, Rodgers is accused of stabbing the unarmed Kellar in the back with a knife. Prosecutors said Rodgers remained at the hotel until Boston police officers arrived.
Prosecutors had requested that Rodgers be held without bail, while Rodgers’ attorney, José Serpa, requested that a $ 25,000 bond be set. Ultimately, Judge James Stanton ruled in favor of the prosecutors.
Rodgers is due to return to court on March 22.
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