Classmate arrested after Mass. teen found decapitated along river

LAWRENCE, Mass. – A classmate has been arrested in the murder of a Massachusetts teenager who was found decapitated along the Merrimack River, about 40 miles north of Boston, reports CBS Boston.

The 15-year-old suspect pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge in the death of 16-year-old Lee Manuel Viloria-Paulino Monday. The teen will be charged as an adult. His lawyer did not argue for bail.

Viloria-Paulino’s body was found near the Merrimack River in Lawrence on Thursday by a woman walking her dog. Police recovered the head nearby. He had been missing since Nov. 18. 

Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett says the motive for the killing is unclear and remains under investigation.

The boys were both sophomores at Lawrence High School, but it was not clear how well they knew each other. The suspect was arrested early Saturday morning, according to CBS Boston.

It could not immediately be determined if the suspect had a lawyer.