A screenshot of the RI Superior Court website.
PROVIDENCE — Richard Baribault, 42 and Troy Gunderway, 47, both of Warwick, RI, were sentenced Friday by Superior Court Justice Brian P. Stern for the Aug. 1, 2015 murder of Fernando Silva, affectionately known as “Captain Fredy,” receiving 55 years with 35 to serve and life plus 10 years to serve, respectively.
Gunderway pleaded guilty on March 22, 2017 to one count of second degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, and was sentenced to a total of 55 years of which 35 years will be served and the remainder suspended with probation by Superior Court Justice Brian P. Stern, according to Attorney General Peter Kilmartin’s office.
Baribault was found guilty by a Kent County Superior Court jury June 30, 2017 of first degree murder, conspiracy, possession of a knife over three inches, receiving stolen property, and operating on a suspended license, and was sentenced to a total of life plus ten years to serve by Stern, according to the attorney general’s office.
Fredy was well known among locals, and described by The Warwick Beacon as a sea-faring nomad and author of “The Blessed Voyage.”
During the trials, the State proved that on the evening of July 31, 2015, Baribault and Gunderway learned that Captain Freddy had earlier won several hundred dollars playing Keno. The two men conspired to steal the money.
They drove to the marina where Captain Fredy lived on his sailboat, and boarded the vessel. Captain Fredy, who was asleep at the time, awoke to noises and found Gunderway and Baribault in the cabin of the boat.
Baribault struck Captain Fredy in the face several times. Gunderway then restrained Captain Fredy by holding him in a head lock for several minutes while Baribault searched the boat for Freddy’s winnings. During the assault, Baribault forcefully held a pocket knife to Captain Fredy’s neck and stomach demanding the money and kicked him several times throughout the assault and robbery. Captain Fredy died as a result of the blunt force trauma he sustained during the violent attack.
Captain Fredy, officially missing since Aug. 1, 2015, was found dead on his sailboat in the water near the end of Randall Avenue Aug. 15, 2015 by the harbormaster, Jeff Barris.
“By all accounts, Captain Fredy was quite the character and thought by many as a kind and gentle person who was always ready to lend a helping hand or share a sailor’s story,” said Kilmartin. “It is a tragedy that his life was cut short by two men who decided he would be an easy target for robbery.”
Warwick Police Detective Sgt. Mark Canning and Lt. Scott Robillard led the investigation and Special Assistant Attorneys General Timothy Healy and Matthew LaMountain prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.
