The Villain of the Year: Former Boston Police Officer Bill Dunn

By Dustin Rowles | TV | December 20, 2023 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | December 20, 2023 |

The context for why Bill Dunn is the 2023 Villain of the Year comes from the HBO docuseries Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning, detailing the 1989 murder of Carol Stuart. Here’s the context:

In 1989, Carol Stuart was fatally shot in the head, and her husband, Chuck Stuart, sustained a gunshot wound to the stomach during what Chuck claimed was a carjacking. The incident resulted in the death of the pregnant Carol and her unborn child. Chuck, surviving the attack, identified the shooter as a Black man wearing track pants.

Following this, the predominantly Irish Catholic Boston police department initiated aggressive actions in the Black neighborhood of Mission Hill. They harassed Black residents, conducted home searches, and instilled fear in the community. Police discovered wet track pants matching the generic description provided by Chuck Stuart in Willie Bennett’s home and subsequently arrested him.

Willie Bennett faced severe consequences. Inside prison, he endured harassment, was labeled a baby killer, and experienced physical assaults. The media treated Bennett as though he were guilty.

Even after it became an open secret that Chuck Stuart was responsible for the murder, with up to 33 people, including Stuart’s siblings and a close friend, aware of it, the police failed to investigate crucial leads. The media and the city continued to mistreat Willie Bennett despite mounting evidence of Chuck’s guilt.

The police, led by Bill Dunn, persisted in blaming Willie Bennett until Chuck Stuart’s eventual suicide, more than two months after the murder. Instead of acknowledging their error, the state pursued and convicted Bennett for an unrelated crime. Chuck Stuart’s suicide note essentially admitted his guilt in killing his wife.

Bill Dunn, a Boston police officer involved in targeting and harassing Black people in Mission Hill, remains unapologetic and unregretful. In the documentary, he dismisses concerns, stating, “I don’t regret the way I acted.” This statement is particularly galling considering the historical condemnation of Boston and its police department for neglecting Chuck Stuart’s motive and focusing on Willie Bennett.

Bill Dunn ultimately utters the most anger-inducing thing I’ve heard all year. It’s been nearly 35 years since Carol Stuart was murdered. It is common knowledge that Chuck Stuart killed his wife and took his own before he could be arrested for Carol’s murder. No one disputes this. Two accomplices were even arrested and convicted for their involvement in the murder of Carol and the subsequent cover-up.

And yet, despite all of that, Bill Dunn — in 2023! — says this, referencing the fact that the Boston PD stopped investigating the case after Chuck Stuart killed himself.

That motherfucker still won’t completely rule out Willie Bennett. He still won’t fully admit that Charles Stuart killed his wife. He will never apologize to Bennett.

Thankfully, the city of Boston and its mayor, Michelle Wu, have finally — just today — issued a formal apology to Willie Bennett. “I am so sorry for what you endured,” the mayor said during a news conference. “I am so sorry for the pain that you have carried for so many years.”