The arrest of a Boston Public Schools safety official on charges of raping a woman inside the Martha’s Vineyard State Police barracks has triggered a series of internal investigations and a thorough review of law enforcement policies. Edward J. Brown, 27, was arraigned in October following a multi-week investigation into an incident that occurred in the early hours of August 15. The case has raised significant questions regarding visitor protocols at state law enforcement facilities and the prior conduct of the accused.
State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble has confirmed that the agency is currently reviewing visitor authorization procedures, compliance with established requirements, and all applicable policies following the report of the assault. Simultaneously, school officials in Boston are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the restraining orders previously filed against Brown, who was an employee at Boston Latin Academy at the time of his arrest.
The history of legal issues involving Brown began months before the incident on Martha’s Vineyard. On May 18, an ex-girlfriend of Brown requested a restraining order, alleging that he became aggressive when intoxicated, followed her to various locations, and called her incessantly. While the order was initially granted for two weeks, it was allowed to expire on June 2 after a judge in Dorchester Municipal Court heard arguments from Brown’s attorney that the encounters were coincidental.
A second woman, who had ended a relationship with Brown three years prior, sought a restraining order on August 3. She alleged that Brown used anonymous phone numbers to call her excessively, particularly on weekends while drinking. This order was initially granted for two weeks and included a directive for Brown to surrender any firearms to the police. It was later extended for one year during a hearing on August 17, just two days after the alleged assault at the barracks. During that hearing, the plaintiff testified that Brown had been physically and verbally abusive in the past, including an allegation of strangulation.
The timeline of the alleged assault began on the evening of August 14, when Brown arrived at the Ritz Cafe in Oak Bluffs. He was accompanied by Trooper Ryan T. Costello, another man, and that man’s girlfriend. According to prosecutors, Brown began interacting with a woman at the bar. While his companions described the conversation as friendly, the woman later reported that a man in a white hat had grabbed her and bought her a drink.
Surveillance footage from approximately 12:20 a.m. on August 15 showed the woman standing outside the Ritz Cafe, appearing heavily intoxicated and swaying while holding a railing. Moments later, Brown emerged from the bar, and the two entered a rideshare vehicle. The Uber driver who transported them to the State Police barracks at 12:27 a.m. later told investigators that while Brown appeared sober, the woman seemed severely impaired.
Upon arriving at the barracks, Brown sent a text message to Trooper Costello asking, “I’m at the barracks with this chick. Is that all right?” Costello replied, “Okay.” Further messages from Brown indicated he was using another trooper’s bedroom and asked about the location of condoms. He also sent a message to Costello stating, “Beers after I slam?”
The victim later told investigators she awoke in an unfamiliar room, naked and facedown. She alleged that Brown held her down by the neck and raped her while she struggled. She eventually convinced him to leave the room by asking for water, at which point she fled the building. At 12:57 a.m., a 911 caller reported seeing a distressed, naked woman on the side of the road near the barracks. A passing driver in a black SUV stopped to help her, and a State Police trooper subsequently directed the driver to take the woman to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
At the hospital, Oak Bluffs police noted that the woman had bruising on her legs and a red mark on her neck. A sexual assault kit was administered, and male DNA found on her body is currently being compared to a sample provided by Brown. Despite an immediate search of the area by officers following the 911 call, no suspect was located that night. Investigators also executed a search warrant at the barracks on September 1, but the woman’s clothing and cellphone remained missing.
The investigation gained momentum on August 21 when a bouncer at the Ritz Cafe informed police he might have a photo of the suspect, noting the individual was known to associate with state troopers. On August 29, Oak Bluffs police sent the photo to Trooper Costello, who identified the man as Brown, a college friend who had stayed with him on August 15. On September 11, Costello’s attorney provided law enforcement with the text messages exchanged between the two men. In a subsequent interview on September 25, Costello told investigators that Brown had given him three conflicting versions of events, initially denying the woman was at the barracks before eventually admitting she had been there briefly.
Brown was arrested on October 9 at Boston Latin Academy. During the arrest, officers reportedly found suspected cocaine in his wallet. During his arraignment in Edgartown District Court on October 13, Brown’s defense attorney, Anthony R. Ellison, argued the incident was a “private matter” and claimed the woman, who is now in Ireland, did not wish to pursue charges. Brown was released on $10,000 cash bail. The State Police internal investigation into the breach of barracks security and Trooper Costello’s involvement remains ongoing.
