Crime
A jury on Thursday found Julius Hammond-Desir, 21, guilty of first-degree murder.
Julius Hammond-Desir of Maynard during his arraignment for the fatal shooting in 2022. Greg Derr/Pool
A man convicted of a fatal 2022 shooting at South Shore Plaza in Braintree has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, officials said.
Julius Hammond-Desir will be eligible for parole after 25 years, according to sentencing documents. Documents show a jury convicted the 21-year-old of first-degree murder in the Jan. 22, 2022, killing of Dijoun Beasley, 26, at a mall.
Prosecutors said Beasely was shopping with his girlfriend and her son. A statement of facts shows a brief verbal exchange between Hammond-Desir and Beasley at a store at the mall, during which Hammond-Desir lifted his shirt to display an unlicensed handgun in his waistband. The two men had another brief verbal exchange, when Hammond-Desir pulled out his gun and shot Beasely in the head, documents state.
“This was a shocking and unconscionable chance encounter,” Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey said in a statement to The Boston Globe. “We hope that with this verdict, Mr. Beasley’s family and friends can find some comfort.” We are deeply sorry for their loss. We thank this jury for their service.
In the sentencing document, Norfolk Superior Court Judge Peter B. Krupp explained that normally, any adult convicted of first-degree murder is sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. However, Krupp said the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently ruled that life sentences without the possibility of parole constitute “cruel or unusual punishment” if the defendant was under 21 at the time of the murder.
Since Hammond-Desir was 19 when he killed Beasely, Krupp decided he was eligible for parole after 25 years in prison.
“The deep sadness over the loss of Mr. Beasley and the fact that he will never be present for future events in his life will be felt by his mother, other members of his family and close friends for the remainder of their lives. life,” Krupp said in the sentencing document. “No parent should have to bury their child.”
However, Krupp acknowledged Hammond-Desir’s upbringing as a potential factor in the shooting. During sentencing, Krupp noted that Hammond-Desir had been both a witness and victim of “abuse and trauma” throughout his life.
Krupp noted that he hopes the sentence will encourage Hammond-Desire to “mature, potentially obtain an education, and seek out mentors in custody who can help him develop skills, self-knowledge, and personal insight; and provide him with the opportunity, through his actions in custody, to demonstrate that he can one day be a productive member of the community outside of prison.
Hammond-Desir’s representation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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