32-Year-Old Man Charged with Killing Child 9 Years After Remains Were Discovered in Suitcase 

In a shocking development, a 32-year-old man has been charged with the murder of 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver, whose lifeless body was discovered in a suitcase near Interstate 190 in Sterling, Massachusetts, nearly a decade ago.

32-year-old Murder Suspect Alberto L. Sierra Jr. (Photo: Worcester Telegram)

32-Year-Old Man Allegedly Killed a Juvenile

Jeremiah Oliver, a resident of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, lived with his mother and siblings before he was reported missing in late 2013.

At the time of Jeremiah’s disappearance, 32-year-old man Alberto L. Sierra Jr. was in a relationship with the boy’s mother, Elsa Oliver, CBS News reported.

The incident was brought to authorities’ attention two months later when Jeremiah’s older sister expressed her concerns to a teacher, leading to the investigation.

The tragic discovery of his remains came in April of the following year, seven months after his disappearance, when a suitcase containing his body was found by the roadside on Interstate 190 in Sterling, approximately 10 to 15 miles away from his home, PEOPLE previously reported.

The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that Jeremiah’s death was a result of homicide, citing “homicidal violence of undetermined etiology” as the cause of death.

Following the discovery of Jeremiah’s body, three employees of the Department of Children and Families in Massachusetts were dismissed due to negligence, and the commissioner of the department resigned from their position.

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32-Year-Old Man Indicted and Held Without Bail

The 32-year-old man Alberto L. Sierra Jr. has been indicted on murder and disinterring of a body charges, according to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.

According to PEOPLE, the 32-year-old man, Sierra appeared in court on Thursday and was ordered to be held without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 25.

It remains unclear whether he has entered a plea or obtained legal representation to provide a statement on his behalf.

According to MassLive.com, both Jeremiah’s mother and Sierra were convicted of assaulting his two surviving siblings before they were placed in state custody. Prosecutors revealed that the siblings had been subjected to cruel punishment, such as being forced to kneel in a cold shower.

In 2017, 32-year-old man Sierra was sentenced to a prison term of six to seven years for assaulting Elsa Oliver and Jeremiah’s surviving siblings.

Elsa Oliver, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to charges of reckless child endangerment and assault and battery, resulting in a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence. However, Oliver has not been charged in connection with her son Jeremiah’s death and disappearance.

Prosecutors did not immediately share what information or evidence led to the murder charge against 32-year-old man Sierra.

READ ALSO: Murder Suspect Pleads Not Guilty To 2013 Death Of 5-Year-Old Boy Found In Massachusetts