saying he is takgime to recover. >> new information, how long will he be out after getting hurt during sunday's game against denver. reporter: the new england patriots releasing a statement on rob gronkowski's status within the hour and good news with the pats, they are breathing a sigh of relief, it's not as serious as initially indicated. during sunday night's game rob gronkowski received a bone bruise of his night knee. he will be listed accordingly on the practice participation and injury reports. there's no timetable for his readiness to return which will be determined in the days or hours of the appropriate game. gronk also making some news earlier today in responding to a claim on

unfairly targeted for pass interference. >> that's gronk. he's a big guy. but you know it's not up to us. the refs made the call. we just have to go out there and play it. they calling what they see and, you know, like i say, we can't control what they call. just go out there and execute the plays. reporter: rob gronkowski going to be questionable at best heading in this weekend. good news could be coming with danny amendola. reporting live outside gillette stadium, 7 news. and 7 news now with a look at a super soaker. just saw his umbrella there. heavy rain is moving into our neck of the woods and it's going to stick around for a while. it will be a cold and dreary night in boston. parts of the area might even see some freezing rain.

hold. >> pete bouchard has been busy tracking the our area. what are we looking at now? >> it's a little solid from foxboro and down from middleboro and the cape and the islands. southern new hampshire we're just about freezing in many spots. look at this rain in barnstable now and back into the vineyard. that's exiting but it's also creating this ground swell of steadier rain which is affecting our south shore communities. can you see it more dark and solid than it is in this spotty nature. everybody getting a good soaking through the course of this wave of rain and then tomorrow's wave so we have two batches coming. there's a little bit of a lull tomorrow morning and the temperatures hold steady in the 30s and 40s. tomorrow afternoon it's renewed and becomes a little heavier too in the second wave. more to come. stay tuned. right now we're moving on top a developing story out of

fierce flames shooting into the sky. look at that house as it burns to the ground. there was a big problem there with getting water to the house. fire crews were forced to truck it in. 7 news is live at the scene. >> it is under control, we would think but still a busy, busy effort here. we're at a hydrant about scene. fire trucks are still in the area. one just left after filling up at this hydrant and one is about to do so. these hydrants have been busy for five hours and the fire fighting battle has been quite the effort. residents were home when they smelled smoke coming from the attic shortly after noon. a big fire in a big house and water in short supply. >> this is a rural area, no municipal hydrants in the area. reporter: as the flames shot right through the roof, bedford

they filled up at these hydrants near a church and drove over a memorial to bring the water to burly terrace. >> no firefighters were in the building. it's all searier operations. reporter: on-line websites say this house is 62,000 square feet. now it appears to be a total loss. the weather cooperated but the thick black smoke could be seen for miles here in southern new hampshire. >> we would say it looks accidental. you think electrical? >> nothing at this time has been ruled in or out. reporter: it is called the tanker task force and the effort continues. a young man who said he lived in the house had no accident on this fire. we are live in bedford, new hampshire, jonathan hall, 7 news. also developing tonight days after a vietnam war veteran is shot and killed in new bedford, two teenagers are charged. 7's byron barnett is live in new bedford tonight with a look at what happened.

who are accused in the murder of this well-known member of the community here in new bedford. a 16-year-old suspect was arraigned in juvenile court today. the 18-year-old suspect was arraigned in front of the victim's family. vietnam veteran just shy of his 67th birthday when he was murdered sunday night. his son and daughter left the courtroom in tears as the prosecutor described the gruesome details. the suspect 18-year-old alexander mills of new bedford, kept his back to the camera. police say a taxi driver in retirement, picked up mills and a 16-year-old he was with. police say mills had him drive them to a new bedford parking lot where he allegedly shot him in the head, dragged him out of the taxi, took his credit cards taxicab. >> that activate aid recording system inside of the cab and the

seen on video operating the vehicle. reporter: he was a retired veteran services agent in new bedford and a well-known advocate for vets. >> he was just a wonderful, beautiful, man. reporter: mills was ordered to bridgewater state hospital for evaluation of a psychiatrist said he was hearing voices. >> there's significant health issues when they go from a major mental illness or simple mood disorder, a severe depression. reporter: now the prosecution says that mills is faking those mental health issues and the prosecution also says that mills has a long criminal history and was supposed to be locked up until he was 21 years old but authorities say that he fled from a dys facility in november. that's the story live from new bedford, i'm byron barnett, 7 news. a marine from new bedford has been found guilty of murder in the philippines. lance corporal joseph

of killing a transgender woman in a hotel room last year. pemberton will serve up to ten years in prison. police say the two went to a hotel. pemberton admitted to choking her but that he tried to revive her too. caught on camera, a man making fiery threats at a gas station employee in manchester, new hampshire. a man walked up to the window of her booth and began pouring lighter fluid on it. he threatened to light the booth on fire if he didn't give her money from the register. she emptied it and he took off. >> i covered a lot of robberies but none with lighter fluid. >> pretty crazy and dangerous that someone would pour lighter fluid on them and burn them for money. reporter: police are offering a reward for anyone with information on who that thief might be. there's a lot more

at 6:00. >> 15 years old when he was locked up for life on murder charges. now eddie owe brian tells his side of the story. this is an interview you will see on just one

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front of that board and admit to something i didn't do. >> eddie o'brien, 15 years old when a jury convicted him of killing his best friend's mother 20 years ago, sentenced to life in prison without parole. he has not spoken publicly in nearly two decades. >> that is until now. cheryl fiandaca has the interview you'll see on just one station. reporter: did you kill janet downing? >> absolutely not. reporter: eddie o'brien was just 15 years old when he was charged with killing his best friend's mother. >> is the defendant guilty or not guilty? >> not guilty. >> convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole, o'brien has always maintained his insurance but hasn't spoken publicly in more than 20 years. so you're adamant you didn't kill janet? >> very adamant. if you really look at the evidence, you'll see

the truth is i didn't do anything. reporter: that's all lawyers will let him say with the case, refusing to talk about thest or the woman he was convicted of killing. janet downing was murdered in side her home in the summer of 1995. the single mom stabbed more than 90 times. her teenage son who was o'brien's friend found her body. o'brien a former alter boy lived across the street from the downings. he became a suspect after police doubted his story that he had been mugged the same night as the murder. >> eddie o'brien. reporter: in court o'brien said he had cuts on his hands and dna evidence from the crime scene. >> i was always under the impression i was going to testify.

>> it was the last day of the trial, they improved their case. you don't have to testify and here i am. reporter: here is the correctional center, a maximum security prison. at six feet six and well over 200 pounds, o'brien is a 35-year-old man now who has spent more than half his life in prison. >> it might be weird to say but i consider myself lucky, i had some good guys who took me under their wings. at the end of the day, this place doesn't matter. this isn't reality. reality is out there where my family and friends are. reporter: and nap a big change in the little system could affect his case. the supreme court ruling could maaco brine eligible for parole but o'brien says that doesn't change anything for him. >> i feel like i would never meet the requirements of being granted a parole. i would never go in

admit to something he didn't do. reporter: he wants to be exonerated. for the first time in 15 years, a new team of requires is working on an appeal. >> my past isn't pretty. i've been in prison for 20 years, and if you try to remember that, it affects your future so i don't even think about my past. i try not too. i live one day at a time. i don't look too far ahead but i am hopeful, i will tell you that. reporter: janet downing's family denied our request for an interview but in the past they said o'brien is guilty and should remain in prison for the rest of his life. in the news room, i'm cheryl fiandaca. we do see some moderation over the next couple of days.

taking a live look outside at boston, a dreary december night out there. the rain starting to move in and the temperatures drop. that's for sure. >> i want to do a 7 news poll on if it's this cold would you rather be rain, are you happy with that, or do you like the snow? pete's what's your vote. >> i bet you if you take that poll in march, it will be a completely different story. it's always interesting to see how it falls off of everybody's list of favorite things in life by the time we get to the end of winter. anyway, showers will taper late.

we have a second wave of it moving in. milder air for some. everyone. this is not a setup up. our temperatures in the 40s now. we haven't budged from the highs. 34 degrees. it's close to the freezing mark and same in worcester. no kidding, right. 44 in hyannis. two degrees above. i still think the temperatures will level off or rise through the night in that pocket of cold air. i'm still keeping it in the 30s for overnight lows. let's zero in on some of the moderate posts. we have steady rain all across the south florida essentially from braintree and quincy down from scituate and marshfield. it's still spotty from framingham, to wakefield, andover. steadier in places like

a freezing rain event in parts of northern new engand. a freezing rain advisory goes from 10:00 across northern new england. this is just one pulse of two that comes through in the morning. in the morning we get a little bit of a lull. second wave moves in, steady rains break out as we go into the afternoon and evening hours. i see low pressure forming back here where there's essentially nothing in west virginia. that low will crank up as it goes into northern new england and tap some cold air. it doesn't mean snow for us on the backside. it's not that kind of setup. a blustery day on thursday with falling speaking of those, they are just about all over the place. i'm not promising that ice either for everyone. some places just a half inch to three quarters. south and east, look at this through hyannis and the vineyard and nantucket.

in the 50s. no, it won't last all day. by evening it will be in the upper 30s. it will feel like winter settling in. this has not been a winter for much of us. tied for ninth warmest last november, last month. almost two inches below normal for precipitation. thankfully we have rain in the forecast now, trying to make up for it. we do go into a dry spell and a warmup heading into the weekend. i'll see you tonight. the red sox have their ace. dave price set to head up the rotation at a reported price will $217 million over seven years. that's what it takes to lure a 30-year-old perennial cy young award contender who has experience in the american league east. traded him away during his time in detroit was intent on acquiring him again.

opt-out after a third year so it's entirely possible. price may have another pay day down the road but in the short-term the red sox are getting a workhorse. he's had his struggles in the playoffs, yes, and with the playoffs planning on reaching october, they are banking on price to be the guy to get them there. issuing joint statements about player injuries is not the patriots way but it is the gronkowski way. gronkowski stepping in today, making it clear there's no time line for his return after injuring his knee. taking this unusual step of releasing a joint statement. as we've seen with gronk's past injuries, he will be back when he and his family feel he's ready. more on what the team and family have to say reporting live in foxboro. reporter: patriots releasing a

within the last hour and breathing a sigh of relief as the injury does not appear to be as bad as indicated. the statement reading quote during sunday night's game rob gronkowski received a bone bruise strain of his night knee. his status will be evaluated on a week to week basis and listed accordingly on the injury reports. there's no timetable on his return which will be determined days or hours prior to the appropriate game. in the meantime with or without gronkowski, the pats rallying in hopes to avoid their first set of back to bass losses since 2012. >> we get a taste of how defeat feels. everybody in this locker room hates that taste. we're going to do everything to make sure we don't taste that taste again.

easy so that's why we got to put in the work this week to go out there and achieve that win. reporter: heard from malcolm butler there. butler saying in response 0 gronk's claim he's being targeted unfairly. butler says that's not exactly the case and on both sides that call is being very tightly contested. 7 sports. and more injury news, dante highhower is banged up with that acl injury. the boston globe reporting that jamie collins is planning to play this sunday against philly. he's missed the last four games with a mysterious illness. i'm joe amorosino, that's sports. 7 news continues

all right. i wanted to do a poll twitter. when it's this cold would you rather have rain or snow? so go to @kim khazei, >> i'm already rethinking my vote. >> let's have some fun with this and be careful weather. we thank you for joining us here for 7 news at 6:00.

>> and i'm ryan schulteis. have a great night, everybody. phil! oh no... (under his breath) hey man! hey peter. (unenthusiastic) oh... ha ha ha! joanne? is that you? it's me... you don't look a day over 70. am i right? r jingle jingle. if you're peter pan, you stay young forever. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. you make me feel so young... it's what you do. you make me feel

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