Two Boston men charged with first-degree murder are facing prison terms in connection with a 2010 gang feud that left a middle school athlete dead.
Timothy Hearns, 24, and Ramano Silvelo-Miles, 24, pleaded guilty to reduced charges of manslaughter in a Suffolk Superior Courtroom Thursday after admitting their role in the slaying of 14-year-old Jaewon Martin on a basketball court four years earlier.
On May 8, 2010, police found Martin and another juvenile suffering from gunshot wounds near the border of Jamaica Plain and Roxbury. Prosecutors allege that Hearns struck Martin, while Silvelo-Miles was a willing accomplice.
Hearns will serve a minimum of 31 years in state prison for his actions, followed by a five-year probation period. Silvelo-Miles will serve a minimum of nine years, followed by a three-year probation period. According to prosecutors, a plea deal eliminated the chance of an appeal.
“This plea agreement will put to end four long years of heartache and frustration over endless court dates, delays, waiting, and will ensure that you will spend many years behind bars,” Martin’s mother said in an impact statement. “No amount of time is going to bring Jaewon back … I will be monitoring your release and probation. I will be at every hearing allowed.”
A press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office below.
Aug. 28, 2014
Gunman, Associate Plead Guilty in Teen’s 2010 Slaying
(BOSTON) — Two H-Block gang members pleaded guilty today to their respective roles in the 2010 shooting death of 14-year-old Jaewon Martin, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.
TIMOTHY HEARNS (D.O.B. 3/13/90) and RAMON SILVELO-MILES (D.O.B. 11/30/89) pleaded guilty to manslaughter for Martin’s May 8, 2010, homicide, as well as three counts of armed assault with intent to murder and related offenses for firing at three other teens at a basketball court near the Bromley Heath housing development.
Hearns, who admitted to committing the shooting, was sentenced to a total of 31 to 32 years in state prison, followed by five years of probation. If he reoffends during that time, or if he associates with any H-Block gang members, he faces up to 20 more years in state prison. Silvelo-Miles – who accompanied Hearns to the scene, shared his intent, and was charged as a joint venturer in the homicide – was sentenced to nine to 10 years in state prison followed by three years of probation. He faces the same probationary conditions as Hearns and faces up to 80 additional years in prison if he violates them.
Both men had been indicted for first-degree murder. Prosecutors agreed to accept their guilty pleas not merely for the lengthy prison sentence imposed upon the admitted killer but also for strategic reasons: their trials were likely to be severed, meaning each man could point the finger at each other in front of separate juries; the main prosecution witnesses were all fellow gang members who would be reluctant to testify and whose testimony could be impeached with their prior criminal histories; and the guilty pleas preclude any post-conviction appellate claims by either defendant.
“Six years older than Jaewon, you should have been trying to teach these kids something positive, not taking someone’s life,” Martin’s mother said during an impact statement prior to sentencing. “Your actions have consequences …. This plea agreement will put to end four long years of heartache and frustration over endless court dates, delays, waiting, and will ensure that you will spend many years behind bars. No amount of time is going to bring Jaewon back …. I will be monitoring your release and probation. I will be at every hearing allowed.”
Had the cases proceeded to trial, Assistant District Attorneys Mark Hallal and Allison Callahan would have sought to prove that Hearns and Silvelo-Miles were engaged in the violent feud between H-Block and another gang associated with Heath Street. On the day of the shootings, prosecutors would have argued, the two men went to Heath Street turf with the intention of shooting someone. When they arrived, Hearns approached the basketball court with a revolver and fired multiple shots at a group of youngsters that included Martin, another boy who was 15 at the time, and two 14-year-old girls. The second boy was only grazed and the girls were uninjured, but Martin was fatally injured.
Jennifer Sears was the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Hearns was represented by attorney Daniel Beck and Silvelo-Miles by attorney John Galvin.
