Boston homicide detectives are investigating the death at a Mattapan home owned by Conan Harris, where the couple does not live.
BOSTON — A person found dead Saturday inside a rental property owned by the husband of U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley died from a single gunshot wound, according to a Boston police report and local news reports.
The discovery prompted a homicide-unit investigation at the Malta Street property in Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood. Authorities have not released the dead person’s name or determined whether the death was a homicide, suicide or accident. No arrests have been announced, and police have not publicly identified a suspect or possible motive.
Police responded shortly before 2 p.m. July 18 after someone entered the department’s District E18 station and reported that a person had been shot, CBS News Boston reported, citing a police report. Officers entered the property and conducted a protective sweep before finding the body in the second apartment near a rear bedroom.
An autopsy was conducted Sunday at the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The examination found that the person died from one gunshot wound, while the manner of death remained pending further forensic testing, according to the police report. Authorities had initially released few details and described the case only as a death investigation.
Boston police said the department’s homicide unit is handling the investigation. Homicide detectives commonly examine unattended, suspicious or violent deaths, but their involvement does not by itself establish that a crime occurred. Officials have not said whether a firearm was recovered or whether investigators believe anyone else was present when the shooting happened.
City property records identify Pressley’s husband, Conan Harris, as the owner of the Malta Street home. Pressley and Harris do not live at the address. A spokesperson for the Democratic congresswoman said the building is a rental property and that Pressley is not personally its landlord.
“The Congresswoman extends her deepest condolences to the impacted family,” the spokesperson said in a statement released after the body was discovered.
The two-story house was built in 1910 and contains seven bedrooms, according to Boston property records cited by CBS News Boston. The city assessed the property at about $919,000. It was also listed for sale for approximately $1.15 million when the death was reported.
Pressley represents Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District, which includes much of Boston and several nearby communities. She was first elected to the U.S. House in 2018. Authorities have not alleged that Pressley or Harris had any involvement in the circumstances surrounding the death.
Police have also not disclosed the dead person’s relationship, if any, to the property owner, its tenants or other people associated with the home. Reports describing the person as being “known to the Commonwealth” did not explain the nature of that connection, and officials have not released additional identifying information.
The investigation remained active Monday as detectives awaited further forensic findings. Police had not announced charges, released the person’s identity or classified the manner of death as of the latest public update.
Author note: Last updated July 20, 2026.