Boyfriend kills aspiring nurse in murder-suicide after two months of dating, says victim’s best friend

The Bobster

Senior News Editor since 2004

Boyfriend kills aspiring nurse in murder-suicide after two months of dating, says victim’s best friend​



By
Social Links for Richard Pollina



Published March 7, 2024, 6:25 a.m. ET








An aspiring nurse in Massachusetts was killed in a murder-suicide by a deranged boyfriend she had only been dating for around two months.


Loren Marino, 24, was found dead with gunshot wounds inside her Haverhill, Mass., apartment on Sunday, according to Boston 25.


Loren Marino was tragically killed by her boyfriend of only two months in a murder-suicide on Sunday. 6
Loren Marino was tragically killed by her boyfriend of only two months in a murder-suicide on Sunday. Loren Marino / Facebook
A downstairs neighbor discovered the bodies of Marino and her new boyfriend Austin Amaral, 24, around 5:45 p.m. Marino’s two dogs were found inside near where the bodies were discovered.


Investigators believe Amaral shot and killed the young woman before turning the gun on himself, a spokesperson for the Essex County District Attorney’s Office told the outlet.


Marino’s best friend Katie Iandolo told the outlet that Amaral became “obsessed” with Marino after the couple had been dating for about two months.





“There was a lot of obsession with him. He kind of came and never left,” she shared. “He didn’t want anybody but him to have a relationship with her.”


Iandolo, who said Marino knew Amaral before they started dating, started to notice warning signs of how dangerous the “psychotic” boyfriend was several weeks before he tragically murdered her friend.


Amaral had flaunted two guns to her inside Marino’s apartment about a month before the murder-suicide.


The couple's bodies were discovered in Marino's apartment by a downstairs neighbor. 6
The couple’s bodies were discovered in Marino’s apartment by a downstairs neighbor. CBS Boston
Marino(R) with her friend Katie Iandolo. 6
Marino (right) with her friend Katie Iandolo.
Raising concern to her friend, Iandolo said Marino assured her things were fine and not to worry.


Then the friend witnessed Amaral become physically violent toward her best friend just weeks before things turned deadly.


“He shoved her into a dresser hard. I kind of freaked out on him,” Iandolo claimed. “He was so psychotic in his eyes when he was yelling at me.”


Iandolo shared that she grew more distant from Marino when she called out Amaral’s abusive behavior, claiming he forced her best friend to unfriend her on social media.


Police believe Austin Amaral killed Marino and then took his own life inside her apartment. 6
Police believe Austin Amaral killed his girlfriend of two months and then took his own life inside her apartment. Boston 25 News
“While she was sleeping, he took her phone and blocked me from it,” Iandolo said of the controlling boyfriend. “He removed me from her Facebook, her Snapchat and her Instagram.”


The heartbroken friend was returning from Las Vegas when she heard Marino had been killed.










“We had an instant connection. The day we met, we used to call each other soul sisters,” added Iandolo. “I loathe him. He took my best friend from me.”


Marino was working as a mental health care professional at Anodyne Medical Services and was “dedicated to her work” before her rageful boyfriend robbed the 24-year-old of her bright future, according to an obituary written by her family.


The East Providence, Rhode Island native was aspiring to become a nurse before she was killed. 6
The East Providence, Rhode Island, native was aspiring to become a nurse before she was killed. Loren Marino / Facebook
Marino worked as a mental healthcare professional at Anodyne Medical Services before she was killed. 6
Marino worked as a mental health care professional at Anodyne Medical Services before she was killed. Boston 25 News
“Loren was a beautiful strong young lady, her amazing beautiful spirit always lit up the room. She was the life of the party, and loved to dance, sing and cook,” her family shared.


After her best friend’s abusive boyfriend turned deadly, Iandolo is warning others to be more vigilant of their relationships and others around them.


“First red flag, please just go,” she said. “It’s only going to get worse. There’s no fixing somebody. There’s no light at the end of that kind of tunnel.”


The East Providence, Rhode Island, native leaves behind her parents, Andrew and Christine, her stepfather, Gary, and four siblings.


Marino’s friends are organizing foster homes for Marino’s two dogs.
 
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