Man accused of disposing woman's body in Hyde Park changes mind in middle of plea hearing, stunning victim's family

There was a stunning turn of events in Suffolk Superior Court on Wednesday when a Boston man reversed course mid-hearing, backing out of a plea deal that could have led to his release from jail within months.

Rinnyers Pena, 47, is facing 11 different charges from three separate cases involving four different victims.

In one case, Pena is accused kidnapping, rape and assault of battery of a household member. In another he's accused of raping two women and photographing them while they were naked and unconscious.

The third case is connected to the death of 38-year-old Alenny Matos.

Matos was reported missing in January 2020. Her body was later found in a trash bag by someone walking their dog in Hyde Park's Stony Brook Reservation.

Prosecutors said Pena was the last person Matos was in contact with and accused him of disposing of her body there.

"Footage shows the defendant going to remove a bin from the truck and roll it down the sidewalk," prosecutors said in court.

If Pena had taken the plea deal, he would have received credit for the five years he has already spent behind bars and could have been released within months, followed by five years of monitoring and probation.

But as prosecutors continued reading evidence and Matos' loved ones prepared to deliver statements, Pena apparently changed his mind.

"My apologies to the court, my client doesn't wish to proceed with the change in plea," his defense attorney said.

The sudden reversal left Matos' family members frustrated.

"I honestly don't know what the next step is. We are trying to figure it out," said Maria Avalo, Matos' sister. "It's just frustrating, I feel like if it was up to us, he'd be getting maximum penalty for everything he's done. He wants to have power over everything that's going on, everything not going his way. Him not being able to get his side out, not being heard is eating him up so he just feels like he would rather take it to trial than make himself responsible."

Pena will head to trial on the two cases, but won't face a jury on the case connected to Matos' death. He's not charged with her murder, just disinterring or moving a body and he's already been held behind bars longer than the maximum sentence of three years if he were to be convicted.

His trial on the other cases will begin with jury selection next week. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.