Adams Couple Faces 5 Years for 2020 Death of Foster Child

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Sentencing for the Adams couple found guilty in the 2020 death of their foster infant has been pushed off by two weeks.

The court wants to clarify care for their four children before possibly issuing prison sentences. 

Matthew Tucker and Cassandra Barlow-Tucker, on Monday, were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and reckless child endangerment in the death of Kristoff Zenopolous on Feb. 18, 2020. 

Kristoff was just 10 months old when he died from complications with respiratory illness, strep, and pneumonia, and the jury determined that the tragedy was a result of neglect. 

On Thursday, Judge Tracy Duncan continued the hearing for sentence imposition to Thursday, April 2, at 11 a.m. She explained that the Berkshire Superior Court wants to know the plan for the family's four children, two of whom have high needs, before their parents are sentenced.  

The commonwealth is requesting five years in prison and three years of probation for both defendants.

Evidence presented at trial showed that the child died after the defendants failed to seek medical treatment despite clear and obvious signs that he required care. The medical examiner determined that the child died from complications of a strep infection, bronchopneumonia, and empyema, a condition in which pus accumulates in the lungs and chest wall. 

Attorneys representing the couple have asked for probation and for staggered prison sentences if they are incarcerated. 

The court heard from Kristoff's birth mother, Kayla Zenopoulos, who said her heart breaks for everybody, and his grandfather, who lovingly described the baby's favorite foods, toys, and songs before his life was tragically cut short. 

"I want justice. I don't believe in an eye for an eye, but I want justice for Kristoff," his grandfather said. 

A Superior Court jury returned the verdict on Monday. Assistant District Attorneys Andrew Covington and Stephanie Jimenez prosecuted the case as special prosecutors from the Northwestern District Attorney's Office because of a conflict of interest with the Berkshire DA's Office. 

The couple now has four children, two of whom are adopted. 

Covington said the baby was left alone in his crib 14 hours before he was checked on, lying motionless from around 12:45 a.m. to after 8:30 a.m.  About an hour into the clips, Tucker reportedly walks into the bedroom and puts another child to bed while Kristoff is fighting for breath. 

Matthew Tucker was represented by attorney Jillian Sheldon of Pittsfield, and Cassandra Barlow-Tucker was represented by attorney Jacqueline Dutton of the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Both attorneys on Thursday recognized the absolute tragedy that had taken place, noted the mental toll it had taken on the family over the past six years, and stressed the couple's caretaking duties for their household. 

Dutton explained that they have two children with significant special needs, including a daughter with cerebral palsy.  

Sheldon said the Tuckers have fostered 13 children, and described a sign language that they developed to communicate with their daughter. She asked if a specialist could come before the court and explain the impact of losing the care of both parents. 

"There's a family need that cannot be replaced by us," she said.

Pittsfield Man Creates Device to Clear Lakes of Algae Blooms

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
08:07AM / Sunday, October 11, 2026

Marc Bellora holds a jar of lake water, left, to compare to water cleaned by his Aqua Clarifier Water System.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Marc Bellora has high hopes for a device he's created to treat lakes from harmful algae blooms.

His patented water clarifier can physically remove captured material rather than letting the nutrient-rich material settle back into the lake, which occurs when herbicides are used.

"It's a long-term lake management tool that can be used to reduce legacy nutrients in lakes and ponds over time," he explained. "We built the prototype, this is a prototype. It does approximately 65 to 70 gallons per minute. It's very environmentally friendly. Can be used with air only, or we can use a low-dose potable polyaluminum chloride (PACL) or chemical on board that can help improve results."

The water clarifier barge is based on well-proven technology for water treatment, he said. "It's a self-contained, portable, mobile unit that removes algae blooms, nitrogen, phosphorus, and the associated nitrogen and phosphorus within lakes."

Bellora founded Clear Waterways Group with business partner Mark Simon. They built a prototype mobile unit and are still working out the kinks. It's taken Bellora about five years to bring the project to fruition as he is also a full-time Realtor.

He says the repurposed barge they use has a device that uses air to filter the water to separate harmful bacteria or uses a chemical at low doses. They are testing both to see how well each does at cleaning the water.

"They would do the same thing here, except they would spray it, and it blocks all that stuff together," Bellora said of the use of herbicides. "But then it drops to the bottom. So now all the nutrients that are attached in that plot go to the bottom and contribute to the legacy nutrients only to fuel next year's bloom. Ours removes it."

He said just using air alone has removed 70 to 90 percent of harmful algae where he has been operating on the south end of Pontoosuc Lake.

"Essentially, we take in the bad stuff, we take in the lake water. We separate the good stuff from the bad stuff. Clean water goes back into the lake, and the bad stuff can either be composted, or it can be taken to the wastewater treatment plant, which is what we're doing here," he said. 

Bellora explained that tiny air bubbles attach to particles in the water, making them buoyant so they rise and can be removed. The unit can operate with air alone, or with a low dose of potable polyaluminum chloride.

PACL helps through flocculation: it gathers small particles into larger clumps that are easier for air bubbles to capture. He said this can help remove dissolved nutrients that air alone may not capture as effectively. 

Bellora said he was inspired to build something like this after noticing the lakes he enjoys being shut down because of algae blooms. 

The city issued a health advisory for Pontoosuc in August, warning residents not to swim or come in contact with the lake water because of an algae bloom. The cyanobacteria can cause skin irritations, vomiting and diarrhea and nerve or liver problems. 

Bellora previously worked for a company that used traditional dissolved air flotation (DAF) systems to treat water. In that role, he traveled around the country to work at paper mills and food-processing plants.

That experience gave him a practical understanding of DAF, and while flying between jobs, he would see green ponds and wonder whether the technology could be adapted to treat lakes.