Grand jury indicts Warren man for murder

Alleged victim had been a chiropractor in Barrington

Posted 7/12/18

The Rhode Island Statewide Grand Jury reported out an indictment on Wednesday, July 11, charging Warren resident Owen Morris with one count of murder. 

It is alleged that Mr. Morris, who is …

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Grand jury indicts Warren man for murder

Alleged victim had been a chiropractor in Barrington

Posted

The Rhode Island Statewide Grand Jury reported out an indictment on Wednesday, July 11, charging Warren resident Owen Morris with one count of murder. 

It is alleged that Mr. Morris, who is 21 years old, murdered Rumford resident and longtime Barrington chiropractor Clive Bridgham on Jan. 10. The alleged incident took place in East Providence and East Providence Police conducted the investigation.

Mr. Morris, who is currently ordered held without bail, is scheduled to be arraigned in Providence County Superior Court on Aug. 1. 

Mr. Morris was arrested by East Providence police in late January, about two weeks after officers responded to Dr. Bridgham's house for a well-being check. 

After forcing their way into the home, officers found Dr. Bridgham dead on the floor, with multiple stab wounds, cuts and other injuries. Dr. Bridgham was 67 years old. 

Police have said that the murder of Dr. Bridgham had been planned out by the suspect. 

The discovery of Dr. Bridgham’s body was prompted by a concerned call from an out-of-state woman with whom the doctor had a relationship. 

Police investigated the alleged relationship between Mr. Morris and Dr. Bridgham, and East Providence Police Chief Christopher Parella has confirmed that Mr. Morris filed a complaint against Dr. Bridgham with the Rhode Island Department of Health in 2016, alleging that the doctor “violated the professional boundaries of the chiropractic physician-patient relationship” during the course of their acquaintance.

It has been reported that as a result of that complaint, Dr. Bridgham voluntarily surrendered his license in Nov. 2017. 

Until recently, Dr. Bridgham operated a chiropractic office in Barrington — the Barrington Chiropractic and Sports Medicine Clinic — located on County Road. 

Mr. Morris comes from a well-known family in Warren. He attended and graduated from the Wheeler School in Providence, and had been a student at the University of Rhode Island.

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