John J. Droney

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John Joseph Droney (1911–1989) was the district attorney for Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from 1959 to 1983. He grew up in Cambridge, where he played football and hockey in school. After his father died in 1929, Droney worked two jobs to help his family. He served in the United States Navy during World War II, taking part in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 1941 and became a lawyer in Cambridge.

Droney joined the Middlesex County district attorney’s office in 1957 and became first assistant in 1958. When DA James O’Dea Jr. resigned in 1959, Governor Foster Furcolo appointed Droney as interim district attorney, and he was confirmed on October 22, 1959. He won a full term in 1960 and was re-elected for several terms, serving until 1983.

During his time in office, Droney handled a number of high-profile cases. He ordered gaming raids early in his tenure, and his office pursued investigations such as the 1961 jail break that led to charges against the sheriff (which were later thrown out). He helped investigate the disappearance of Joan Risch, and in 1963 oversaw the Roy Smith case, a murder trial that intertwined with later questions about the Boston Strangler. In 1968, he reopened the Beverly Samans murder case, influenced by new information. In 1977, he named John Kerry as his first assistant; Kerry later acted as Droney’s spokesman when ALS limited Droney’s ability to speak.

Droney also sought higher office. He announced a bid for governor in 1963 but finished with a small share of the vote. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 1972 but lost to Edward Brooke. In 1982, Droney’s office conducted a large prison raid at Framingham, involving alleged drug trafficking and gambling tied to a data business run by inmates; the ensuing charges in 1982 were later dropped.

In the later years of his career, Droney faced reelection battles, especially as his health declined from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He spent his final years in Medford, Massachusetts, and died there on November 3, 1989, at the age of 78. He was survived by his wife, Margaret M. McDougall, and their daughter. He is buried in Cambridge Cemetery.