A 12-member jury in New London Superior Courtroom got here again with a fast verdict Thursday, asserting after lower than three hours of deliberation that it had discovered Metese Hinds responsible of homicide within the Oct. 24, 2017, stabbing dying of Raheeim “Rah” General.
Hinds, 48, faces as much as 63 years in jail for homicide and carrying a harmful weapon after the jury discovered past an affordable doubt that he used a kitchen knife to repeatedly stab Common on a hearth escape touchdown at 49 Blackhall St.
Choose Hunchu Kwak scheduled a Might eight sentencing date, giving the Division of Grownup Probation sufficient time to conduct a presentencing investigation.
Household and pals of Common, a 33-year-old father of 5 kids, mentioned they have been grateful to the jury and the prosecution group that had dealt with the case.
“He was an amazing man, nice father and nice pal,” mentioned Jamal Brown, a “brother” who grew up with Common and attended your complete nine-day trial. “We liked him to dying. We miss him and can all the time preserve him in our coronary heart.”
Senior Assistant State’s Legal professional Thomas M. DeLillo, lately transferred full time from Geographical Space 21 courtroom in Norwich to the courtroom the place main crimes are tried, was the lead prosecutor, with help from Supervisory Assistant State’s Legal professional Paul J. Narducci, Inspector Timothy Pitkin and Sufferer Companies Advocate Stephanie Barber.
“I am simply grateful to the jurors for his or her onerous work and the truth that they have been paying consideration,” DeLillo mentioned. “I hope it brings some measure of consolation to Mr. Common’s household.”
Common’s survivors additionally mentioned that they have been impressed that Hinds’ legal professional, Robert F. Kappes, had pulled them apart earlier than the decision was introduced to supply his condolences.
Kappes, an skilled trial lawyer who Hinds had tried to fireplace previous to jury choice, had challenged the evidence in pretrial motions, arguments to the court and cross-examination of witnesses.
In response to the proof, Hinds, Common and others had been ingesting in a third-floor residence on Blackhall Avenue. The tenant who was internet hosting them instructed them to depart. A battle broke out on the hearth escape touchdown, and an eyewitness mentioned Hinds retrieved a knife from the kitchen of the second-floor residence, the place he was staying. Three eyewitnesses testified that Hinds stabbed Common repeatedly, went contained in the second-floor residence, then returned exterior to proceed kicking the unconscious Common even after police arrived.
Common suffered stab wounds to the neck, stomach and left arm, and the state contends that Hinds stabbed himself behind the leg through the frenzy.
Along with the civilian witnesses, the state’s attorneys had elicited testimony from New London police who responded, investigated and processed the crime scene, medical workers who handled Common and specialists from the State Forensic Laboratory who examined the proof. DNA from each Hinds and Common was on the knife and on a shirt that Hinds was carrying that evening, in accordance with their testimony.
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