Man admits he killed artist whose body was found in a wooded area in Jackson Square

Ritcher Baez, 25, of New York City, today admitted he killed Pippin Roe near a Jackson Square construction site in 2014, then left her body under some leaves and debris, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

Baez pleaded guilty to manslaughter for killing Roe in an argument. He is scheduled for sentencing on Tuesday.

According to the DA's office:

During the course of an investigation into Roe’s death, Boston Police homicide detectives determined that late in the evening of July 3, 2014, and into the morning of July 4, Roe and Baez met in the area of Haymarket and were captured together in security camera footage at an ATM, where Roe used her bank card. They made their way toward a wooded area near a Columbus Avenue construction site. There, prosecutors would have argued, the two became involved in an altercation during which Baez struck the victim in the head repeatedly, causing her death.

Records showed that Roe’s bank card was used again on July 9, 2014, after her death. Security footage capturing the transaction showed Baez in the company of two other women as he used Roe’s bank card.

After a full examination of Roe’s remains, toxicological evidence, and investigative reports relating to Roe’s death, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide on Jan. 15, 2015. A warrant issued for Baez’s arrest and he was taken into custody in New York City, where he was living at that time, days later on Jan. 19.