Vigil Honors Tapia Days after His Murderer Gets Life Sentence

Upland Road is a narrow stretch lined with tidy homes, some still decorated for Christmas almost a month later.

Three years ago, this residential street was the scene of a racist murder, when Henry Tapia, a Black man, was run down and killed during a road rage incident. On the anniversary of his death each year, community members gather to mark the day the 34-year-old father of three was killed, and they celebrate his life.

“We still miss him,” said Tapia’s best friend, Daniel Garcia, during a brief speech on Sunday, ahead of the third annual Henry Tapia Memorial Vigil and Walk.

A crowd of 60 to 70 people held signs illustrated with Tapia’s likeness at the spot outside of 45 Upland Road, where he was killed on Jan. 19, 2021.

Dean Kapsalis, 57, of Hudson, was convicted of second-degree murder for killing Tapia. On Jan. 17, Kapsalis was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years, according to the Associated Press.

“We got a good sentence,” said Courtney Morton, Tapia’s fiancée and mother of his now 6-year-old son, Elias. “[Kapsalis] is going to face consequences … It’s not going to bring Henry back, but it’s some kind of closure.”

According to the Associated Press, Kapsalis called Tapia a racial slur while getting into his pickup truck after they got into an argument. He then struck Tapia with his truck before driving off, which led to Tapia’s death.

“Being called the N-word is something I just don’t tolerate,” said Morton to the group of supporters dressed in layers to withstand the cold.

Many in the crowd said the tragedy was a stark reminder Belmont is not immune to the lethal, racist confrontations plaguing many other areas of the state and country.

“It was shocking and a wakeup call to the fact that racism affects every community,” said Joe Bernard, president of the nonprofit Belmont Against Racism, which sponsored the event.

“Racism is still in Belmont,” said realtor Anne Mahon of the Belmont Housing Authority and Morton’s friend. “We don’t want people to forget.”

A scholarship program in his name is one way to ensure Belmont residents don’t forget what happened to Tapia.

“Henry wished he’d gone further” in his education, said Morton, looking forward to awarding the money to Belmont students by the end of the academic year. She and Mahon said during a fundraiser in 2023, they exceeded their goals and hoped the scholarships would be even bigger. Tapia was involved in the gaming community, and Morton suggested they might have a gaming contest to award the scholarship.

After the short speeches concluded, the group walked from the scene of the murder on Upland Road and trudged across the still snowy Town Field to Morton and Tapia’s former home. On the day of the tragedy, Tapia was going to meet Morton, walking the same way.

Morton said that although each year the crowd attending the vigil gets smaller, she said it means even more to her that those who care still come.

Asked how she is doing after the sentencing and moving forward without Tapia, Morton said, “I just take it day by day.”

To learn more about Belmont Against Racism, visit https://belmontagainstracism.org/