On the night of December 1, 2021, 39-year-old Joseph R. Fillio of Pittsfield was attending a gathering at an apartment on Randolph Place in downtown Northampton when he suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Emergency services arrived around 11 p.m., and Fillio was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, where he was pronounced dead. The incident was the only homicide recorded in Hampshire County in 2021.

Witnesses at the apartment identified 32-year-old Steven J. Malloy of Springfield as the person who fled on foot immediately after the shooting. Northampton police located and arrested Malloy nearby on West Street; he was charged with murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. Prosecutors did not disclose a motive or describe a specific relationship between Malloy and Fillio.

At trial the prosecution presented testimony that Malloy pulled out a gun, pointed it at Fillio’s temple, and fired. The defense challenged witness reliability, pointed to inconsistencies in accounts, and argued the possibility Fillio may have taken his own life. A jury returned verdicts in October 2024: not guilty of first-degree murder, guilty of illegal possession of a firearm.

Does anyone who knew Joseph or was at the Randolph Place gathering have information that could clarify what happened that night?