Man sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating deadly home invasion

A Lynn man with ties to the Bloods street gang who orchestrated a home invasion that killed 22-year-old Quintin Koehler in Billerica in 2012 was sentenced Friday to spend the rest of his life in state prison for the crime, officials said.

The life term handed down to Adam Bradley, 32, came one day after his first-degree murder conviction in Middlesex Superior Court, District Attorney Marian T. Ryan’s office said in a statement.

Prosecutors described Bradley as the ringleader of the deadly plot, which the assailants set in motion in order to “terrorize the residents and enrich themselves with money and marijuana,” Ryan said.

Bradley and other men, some of them masked and armed, busted into Koehler’s residence on Boston Road in Billerica shortly before 4 a.m. on July 7, 2012, and one robber, previously identified as Jason Estabrook, shot Koehler in the head, according to authorities.

Estabrook, 34, and Peter Bin, 30, of Peabody, were previously convicted of first-degree murder for their roles in the slaying. All first-degree murder convictions carry a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Ryan’s office said Bradley not only organized the plot and recruited the participants but also tried while awaiting trial to “have the prosecution’s cooperating witness killed to prevent the witness from testifying against him.”

Soon after Koehler’s death, his family announced that his organs would be donated to patients in need.

“His family were comforted knowing that through the efforts of the New England Organ Bank, some good would come out of this tragedy by offering his heart and other vital organs that can be used to help others survive,” said Koehler’s obituary, which was posted to the Conway Cahill-Brodeur funeral home website.

The obituary said Koehler was born in Methuen but grew up in Maine before moving to Billerica. He worked in the shipping and receiving department for FedEx in Woburn and enjoyed outdoor activities, landscaping, and welding, according to the obituary.

Ryan welcomed Bradley’s conviction in the statement her office released on Friday.

“This conviction is a testament to the dedication of multiple law enforcement agencies over the past five years who have thoroughly investigated this case to ensure that the individuals involved are held accountable for their role in this venture,” Ryan said. “We will continue to work with our federal and local partners as the remaining cases in this matter move forward.”

Her words were echoed by Billerica police Chief Daniel Rosa.

“I am very proud of the investigative and prosecutorial team in this case who worked tirelessly to finally get justice for the victim and the community,” the chief said in the release.

In addition to Bradley, Estabrook, and Bin, a fourth man, Gabriel Arias, 25, of Lynn, was convicted in 2014 of lying to investigators and sentenced to a 7-year prison term, the statement said.

Arias is still awaiting trial on additional charges stemming from the case including first-degree murder, prosecutors said.

Two other defendants, Sophan Keo, 29, of Beverly, and Steven Touch, 28, of Lynn, are also facing first-degree murder indictments in connection with the case. Touch and Keo allegedly provided transportation to the robbers to and from the crime scene.

Keo is currently in custody, but Touch remains a fugitive.

Ryan’s office on Friday described Touch as a leader of the Young Bloods, a violent gang operating in the Lynn area. His last known address is 108 Empire St. in Lynn, prosecutors said.

The FBI has offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to his capture.

An advisory from the bureau said that prior to Touch’s indictment in June, he was on pre-trial release for unrelated crimes and removed his electronic monitoring bracelet several months earlier.

Touch, who should be considered armed and dangerous, stands 5-foot-7 and weighs 220 pounds and goes by the aliases Kevin Touch, Fat Boy, and C Sick, the advisory said.

He has a number of tattoos, including “the word ‘Kayden’ above a baby footprint on the right side of his neck, the word ‘Blood’ on his upper right arm, the word ‘Touch’ on his left hand, the letter ‘Y’ with the word ‘Young’ under it on his right inner forearm, and the letter ‘B’ with the word ‘Blood’ under it on his left inner forearm,” the bulletin said.