Joselo Jose Campusano

Joselo "Jose" Campusano, a 21-year-old Hispanic man, was remembered by his family as a friendly and devoted father to his young daughter who preferred spending time at home with his loved ones. A native of the Dominican Republic, he was enjoying a rare night out with friends in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in the spring of 2015. His cousin described him as a good man, and his family was left shocked and searching for answers after his life was cut short by sudden violence.

In the early hours of May 1, 2015, the lively atmosphere inside Bali's nightclub on Essex Street was shattered. Just before 1 a.m., Lawrence Police responded to reports of a fight at the club. Inside, they discovered Joselo Campusano dead on the floor of the restroom from multiple gunshot wounds. Witnesses reported that Campusano had been followed into the bathroom by another man who shot him and then fled. Family members said that the last they heard from him, he was having a good time and asking the DJ to play music. The city's mayor, Daniel Rivera, called the homicide a rare event for the area and pledged to take a hard look at the nightclub's operations and licenses to ensure safety.

The joint investigation by the Lawrence Police Department and the Essex County State Police Detective Unit quickly identified a suspect. Initially, he was named as William Perez, but investigators soon discovered this was an alias for Yssael Lantigua-Alecon, then 34, of nearby Methuen. Authorities revealed that Lantigua-Alecon had a history of using fraudulent identities and had at least six known aliases. An arrest warrant was issued charging him with murder and carrying a firearm without a license.

Despite an intensive search, Lantigua-Alecon managed to evade capture. He was last seen fleeing the nightclub in his sister's SUV. In November 2015, his case was elevated to the Massachusetts State Police "Most Wanted Fugitives" list, and he was considered armed and dangerous. For over a decade, his whereabouts remained unknown, with authorities suspecting he may have fled to his native Dominican Republic. The search for him was featured in news reports as the hunt for justice in Campusano's death continued.

After more than eleven years on the run, the search came to an end. On August 17, 2026, Yssael Lantigua-Alecon, then 45, was arrested in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, by the United States Marshal Service. The capture was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Marshals, the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, and Lawrence Police. Officials praised the diligent and persistent work of all the law enforcement agencies involved in tracking down the long-time fugitive.

Following his capture, Lantigua-Alecon was extradited to Massachusetts to face the charges against him. On September 18, 2026, he was arraigned in Essex County Superior Court for the murder of Joselo Campusano. He pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and carrying a firearm without a license and was ordered held without bail by the judge. As of September 2026, the case is pending in court, with Assistant District Attorney Jessica Strasnick prosecuting for the Commonwealth. Lantigua-Alecon is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.