Medford woman Barbara Novaes found dead at home after reported missing

MEDFORD — The body of 61-year-old Barbara Novaes was found by police at her Medford home after she was reported missing by her family. 

The house where the body was found is located on Emery Street near Tufts campus. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said the incident is being investigated as a “suspicious death.”

According to Ryan, Novaes’ son called police at around 6:40 a.m. Monday morning to notify them that he could not find her. He told officers that he had last seen her at her home on Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m., and he had believed at that time she left the house to go to nail appointment.

“He reported that when he woke up this morning, the front door of the home was standing open. And he had seen that his mother’s car was still there,” Ryan said. “He said he had also located his mother’s car keys, her phone and her purse.”

About 8:30 a.m., a Medford police officer found her body under the porch of the home. 

Police have been going door-to-door to see if anyone witnessed anything or if anyone has any surveillance video. 

“It’s pretty scary,” said one neighbor. “I moved to this area specifically because it is very safe. So it is a bit shocking.”

Officers will continue to be in the area for the next several days to continue their investigation.

Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said while she didn’t know Novaes personally, that she was an active parishioner at Grace Church in town.