A 48-year-old man is being held without bail after he pleaded not guilty Monday to murdering his wife in the Stoughton apartment they shared with their two children over the weekend.

Ilton Rodrigues was arraigned for the murder of Telma Bras in his hospital room at Boston Medical Center, where he is being treated for injuries “consistent with a suicide attempt,” according to the Norfolk District Attorney’s office.

Stoughton police responded to the couple’s apartment at 5 Bennett Drive shortly before midnight on Friday night in response to a call for a disturbance, according to the DA’s office. The officers had to force their way into the apartment, where they found Bras, 43, dead from apparent stab wounds in the living room. Rodrigues was found in the same room, with a knife protruding from his own body.


“It was a violent scene,” Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara said during a press conference on Saturday.

A #stoughton mom is dead and her husband facing murder charges after police say 48 year old Ilton Rodrigues stabbed his wife, 43 year old Telma Bras to death while their children were in the apartment. The latest at 6 @boston25 pic.twitter.com/9hlQczLbiD — Crystal Haynes (@crystalhaynes) May 4, 2019

The DA’s office said officers immediately began to treat Rodriguez at the scene before he was transported with injuries that were life-threatening to Boston Medical Center where he underwent surgery.

The couple’s two children, a 17-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy, were in the apartment at the time of the incident. The teen, who heard the disturbance, contacted a relative for help, and the relative in turn contacted police, the DA’s office said.

What the children heard or saw during the event is part of the ongoing investigation, District Attorney Michael Morrissey said during the weekend press conference. The children are both safe and “appropriate services” are being arranged for them.

“Obviously a very traumatic period for the children, and we are communicating with them as appropriate, recognizing that they have a significant bit of trauma to overcome,” he said.

Rodrigues will return to court on June 10.