A defense letter reportedly seeks a manslaughter plea and 19-to-20-year sentence for Gregory Groom, who has pleaded not guilty.
REHOBOTH, MA — The family of Kylee Monteiro says it is fighting a possible plea agreement that could resolve the murder case against her former boyfriend without a trial, about a year after the pregnant 18-year-old was found dead on property in Rehoboth.
Gregory Groom, 23, is charged with murder and witness intimidation in Monteiro’s August 2025 death. He has pleaded not guilty and has been held without bail. Monteiro’s sister, Faith Monteiro, told Boston 25 News that the family recently obtained a letter that appears to show Groom’s attorney asking the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office to allow Groom to plead guilty to manslaughter and receive a sentence of 19 to 20 years. No agreement between prosecutors and the defense has been publicly confirmed.
The possibility of resolving the case with a lesser charge has alarmed Monteiro’s family, which has said it wants the murder charge decided through the court process. Faith Monteiro has continued to speak publicly about her sister’s death and the family’s efforts to seek accountability. Asked about the possibility that Groom could eventually be released under a negotiated resolution, she told Boston 25, “Any chance of him getting out isn’t justice to me.”
Boston 25 reported Sept. 9 that it had sought comment from Groom’s attorney and the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office about the letter and had not received responses at the time of publication. The document was provided to the station by Monteiro’s family, and its reported contents describe a request from the defense rather than an accepted plea agreement. That distinction remains important as the case moves forward: Groom continues to face the murder charge unless prosecutors and the court approve some other resolution.
The case began in August 2025 after Monteiro, who was about 11 weeks pregnant, disappeared following a visit to the County Street property where Groom lived with his grandparents. Prosecutors said Groom contacted Rehoboth police on Aug. 8 and reported her missing, initially telling investigators that Monteiro had left the property after an argument. Her disappearance led to an intensive search that continued for nearly two weeks.
During Groom’s first court appearance, prosecutors described messages Monteiro had sent to her sister shortly before her disappearance. In one message, she accused Groom of throwing her to the ground, pulling her hair and strangling her. She also wrote, “If I die, it was Greg.” Prosecutors said investigators later questioned Groom about the confrontation and that he acknowledged pushing Monteiro and knocking a phone from her hand. Those allegations were part of the domestic violence investigation that preceded the murder charge.
Prosecutors said the investigation changed after police informed Groom that they intended to search the property. According to the prosecution’s account presented in court, Groom then admitted that he had stabbed Monteiro during an altercation and buried her body nearby. Authorities said he drew investigators a map showing where to look. Search teams recovered remains believed to be Monteiro’s on Aug. 19, 2025. Groom was arrested and ordered held without bail after the murder charge was brought against him.
A Bristol County grand jury later indicted Groom on charges of murder and witness intimidation in November 2025, moving the case into Fall River Superior Court. Groom pleaded not guilty at his Nov. 25 arraignment and remained in custody. The indictment did not resolve the allegations against him; prosecutors still bear the burden of proving the charges if the case proceeds to trial.
Monteiro’s pregnancy has remained a central part of her family’s grief, although the Superior Court indictment publicly reported in the case charges Groom with murder in Monteiro’s death and witness intimidation. Her family has repeatedly described the loss as involving both Monteiro and the child she was expecting. Faith Monteiro has also spoken publicly about her sister’s efforts before her death to find housing and support while pregnant, saying Kylee had contacted multiple shelters while looking for somewhere to stay.
The family’s concern about a possible plea agreement comes after months of pretrial proceedings. In August, Faith Monteiro told NBC 10 that she would not consider the possibility of Groom eventually being released to be justice for her sister. The more recent defense letter intensified those concerns because, according to Boston 25, it proposes resolving the murder prosecution through a manslaughter plea with a sentence far shorter than the family wants to see imposed.
Faith Monteiro said the family also fears that a negotiated plea could leave unanswered questions about Kylee’s final hours and eliminate the public trial they had expected. She is organizing a peaceful demonstration outside Fall River Superior Court when the case returns for a pretrial conference Oct. 28. As of Sept. 12, no publicly confirmed plea agreement has been announced, and Groom continues to face the pending murder and witness intimidation charges.
Author note: Last updated September 12, 2026.