LYNN — A Lynn man who has gone decades without answers about the disappearance of his mom is demanding justice for his brother, who was killed in Boulder, Colo., in July.
Lynn native Roland Dequina, 43, was allegedly beaten to death in Boulder by James Craig Dobson, 56, and left in a parking lot for hours before he was found by three bicyclists beside an empty bottle of vodka and a stick covered in blood, according to an arrest report obtained from the Boulder County District Attorney’s office.
Dequina’s brother Adam said he wants to make sure his alleged killer is held accountable.
“We grew up in Lynn and we were really close,” he said. “We used to love to fish. He loved all types of music. We used to go skiing all the time. We were 11 months apart and grew up almost like twins. He was very thoughtful, passionate, caring. He would do anything for anyone. He would take the shirt off his back for anyone.”
The boys were raised by their grandparents after their mother, Susan Dequina, disappeared in October 1979. Police have yet to find answers about what happened to her.
Cheryl Jefts, Adam Dequina’s girlfriend, said the family is afraid they will once again not see justice, and that the case will be treated lightly because of how local media have described the victim.
Jefts, who grew up with the family, said Dequina set out to be a wanderer at the age of 19 or 20, following the Grateful Dead across the country. He spent time in San Francisco, and later in Boulder.
The San Francisco Chronicle called him the “best-known alcoholic” in San Francisco, who became known as part of the city’s landscape as the man who spent his days throwing out peace signs to tourists, in a 2012 article. He was the third most ticketed violator of the city’s sit/lie law that prohibits sitting or lying on public sidewalks between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. in 2011.
“Everyone tells me to get a job, but I tell them my job is ‘front-lining it’,” he told the Chronicle in 2012. “I’m sitting on the front lines of life in the best city on earth.”
“Roland was a hippie, let me tell you,” said Jefts. “He was the kid who just said ‘no, I’m not going to live by the rules. Peace, love, and happiness.’ The reports (in Colorado) are making him look like some vagrant. Not all who wander are actually lost. The district attorney in Colorado needs to realize that this homeless man was loved and he was in the street, dying for hours.”
Boulder Police responded to a report of an assault at 10:18 p.m. on July 24, where they found two homeless men on the side of the road. Dobson was seated on a cushion propped up on a guardrail, and Jeff Cross was lying in a fetal position on the ground. He was bleeding from the nose and had fresh blood on his right arm, shoulder, face, and both hands. He was intoxicated and had bloodshot eyes, and was complaining of pain. He was transported to the hospital, where he told police he “took a digger.”
Dobson was questioned and told police nothing happened. Dequina wasn’t found until about 2:30 a.m. on July 25, when three bicyclists discovered him, according to the report. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died.
Dobson was detained at 9:20 a.m. on July 25, and told police he punched Dequina in the face because he threatened him with a stick. He admitted the blood on his pants belonged to Dequina and that at one point, he picked up a stick to “defend himself against Dequina,” according to the report.
Police found a broken tree limb covered in blood at the scene, along with an empty bottle of vodka, according to the report. Various witnesses who were interviewed by police on July 25, many of whom were described to be intoxicated, said the three men were drinking heavily and fighting.
Dobson is expected to be arraigned on charges of second-degree murder, attempted murder, and assault charges on Nov. 17 in Boulder District Court.
In the meantime, the Dequina family is planning a memorial service to be held in the coming weeks, after receiving his ashes earlier this week.
Services will be held on Friday, Sept. 15 at St. Pius Parish on Maple Street, followed by a celebration of his life at Fantasy Island in Swampscott.