MARSHFIELD – A man is facing charges after his longtime friend died following an altercation while cooking Thanksgiving dinner in Massachusetts.
It happened Wednesday afternoon on Main Street in Marshfield.
Man dies after Thanksgiving cooking dispute
Richard Lombardi, 65, was preparing Thanksgiving dinner Wednesday when his longtime roommate and friend Frank Griswold, 80, entered the kitchen.
Lombardi told police that Griswold sneezed rapidly and warned him not to go near the food until he created a physical barrier using salt and pepper. He then says that Griswold came near the food, so he grabbed him by the collar and pushed him.
“The defendant suspected that Mr. Griswold’s feet became entangled, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground,” said prosecutor Joseph Presley.
Lombardi called 911 and police arrived to find Griswold face up in a pool of blood and with a cut on his face.
“It appeared the victim suffered a broken nose and an injury to his neck,” Presley said.
“What I heard and what I’m sure some of you heard in court was so close to an accident and nothing more than I’ve heard in a long time,” said attorney Marshall Johnson.
The two men have known each other since the 1990s, when they worked together at Charles River Management, Lombardi said. Griswold previously worked as John Hancock’s CIO, and since the pandemic, Lombardi has been helping Griwold with most of his daily life, court documents show.
“To the extent that friends care for each other, yes. I wouldn’t say he was a medical care representative or a personal care provider or anything like that,” Johnson said.
Lombardi is charged with manslaughter, assault and battery on a person over 60 years old. Lombardi is scheduled to appear in Plymouth District Court again on Wednesday. He is being held without bail.
Mike Sullivan
