A Plymouth County grand jury on Friday indicted Nicholas Botella, 33, of Fairhaven, in connection with the June 30 shooting death of James Rizza, 57, of Mattapoisett.
In information released by Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz’s office, Botella faces charges of murder, two counts of carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of ammunition without an FID card, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building. He is expected to be arraigned later in Brockton Superior Court. Assistant District Attorney James Duffy is prosecuting the case. Earlier court records list Botella’s name as Bottella.
Police responded to 10 Harbor Road in Mattapoisett’s Harbor Beach neighborhood shortly after 3 p.m. on June 30, where they found Rizza suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the driveway. He was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead at approximately 3:40 p.m.
A 911 caller reported seeing a man in a red vehicle leaving the area. Shortly afterward, officers spotted a sedan matching the description and attempted to pull it over. The driver fled, leading police on a pursuit before being stopped near Front Street in Marion, where Mattapoisett police cruisers boxed in the vehicle.
The driver, identified as Botella, was arrested. A passenger who was in the vehicle was questioned but has not been publicly charged.
Some Background On Their Prior History
Investigators later learned that Botella had previously lived next door to Rizza and had been involved in a dispute with him about a year before the shooting. According to the District Attorney’s Office, Botella had acted aggressively toward Rizza during that earlier conflict.
Botella has previously pleaded not guilty to the charges in court. A GoFundMe has been started to help the Rizza family:
On June 30, 2026, Jimmy Rizza’s life was taken in a tragic act of violence, leaving his beloved wife, Karin, and their daughters, Daniela and Juliana, facing unimaginable loss. Jimmy was a devoted husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. He was the kind of person who never said no to someone he loved, always putting others before himself and making everyone around him feel cared for. His kindness, generosity, and unwavering love left a lasting impact on everyone fortunate enough to know him. https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-jimmy-rizzas-family-v7czm
