Fisherman charged with killing shipmate held without bail

BOSTON – The fisherman charged with killing one crew mate and injuring another on board a commercial fishing vessel off the Massachusetts coast has been held without bail.

Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez made his initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday in Boston where he is charged with murder and attempted murder.

Authorities say Vazquez, a Mexican national living in the U.S. illegally, used a hammer and a knife to attack his shipmates Sunday on the Virginia-based vessel Captain Billy Haver about 55 miles off the coast of Nantucket.

Vazquez is also facing several charges in Newport News, Virginia, for an alleged abduction in March.

Vazquez’s federal public defender requested a probable cause hearing, which was tentatively scheduled for next week, but had no comment outside the courtroom.