Teen Arraigned in Murder of Dawnn Jaffier

Kelsey Luing — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 19:06:38 -0400

A Dorchester teen is being held without bail after allegedly gunning down a woman while she was marching in a parade this past weekend.

Keith Williams, 18, pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon at his arraignment in Dorchester Municipal Court Monday in connection with the Saturday morning murder of Dawn Jaffier, 26. He, along with two others, was detained shortly after the incident and initially held on gun charges.

According to prosecutors, the teen used a .357-caliber revolver to strike Jaffier and then threw it in a nearby yard. A second woman was hit with a bullet, but survived.

“Some might say she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley. “But she was not – she had every right to stand on a busy street on a beautiful Saturday morning. She had every right, just as all our children have every right, to watch a parade without putting her life at risk.”

Conley went on to call her death an “outrage” and urged witnesses of her death to come forward.

Jaffier, a longtime Boston resident, was a teacher and mentor at the Boys and Girls Club in Jamaica Plain. She was walking along a parade route at Dorchester’s annual Caribbean festival when she was shot.

In a statement Monday, Boston Public Schools described her as a loving, generous young woman who made it her mission to improve the lives of others.

“[She] was exactly the sort of person we need more of,” Conley said.

Williams is represented by attorney John M. Galvin. He will return to court on Oct. 14, 2014.

A press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office below.

Aug. 25, 2014

Remarks of District Attorney Daniel F. Conley on the Arraignment of Keith Williams

(BOSTON) — Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today delivered the following remarks on the arraignment of KEITH WILLIAMS (D.O.B. 7/13/96) on charges of murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and gun charges in connection with the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Dawnn Jaffier on Saturday morning. Williams was ordered held without bail and will return to court on Oct. 14 with attorney John Galvin.

“Today’s arraignment of Keith Williams on murder charges marks a major step in the investigation into Dawnn Jaffier’s homicide, but I want to be clear – it is not the last step. The investigation does not stop here, and we can’t afford for potential witnesses to become complacent now that a suspect has been identified. We’ve gotten some helpful information from the public over the past few days, but we know there are others out there with information that could prove extremely valuable to this case.

“I want to address those witnesses directly. If you have specific information about this homicide, or even more general observations about individuals in the area at the time it occurred, please come forward. Investigators have been working this case around the clock to gather ballistics, commercial video surveillance, and other evidence, but they still need witnesses who can say what they heard, what they saw, and what they know.

“Once again, the City of Boston has lost a young, vibrant, and promising member of the community. Dawn Jaffier was exactly the sort of person we need more of. She had dedicated herself to making the city and the world a better place. She was a truly innocent victim, and we don’t believe she was the intended target. Some might say she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. But she was not – she had every right to stand on a busy street on a beautiful Saturday morning. She had every right, just as all our children have every right, to watch a parade without putting her life at risk. It’s an outrage that someone would choose that time and place to pull a gun and fire it repeatedly.

“Here are some names you might remember: Jermaine Goffigan. Trina Persad. Luis Gerena, Jr. Cederick Steele. Steven Odom. Chiara Levin. Herman Taylor III. Nicholas Fomby-Davis. Too many young men and women, and far too many children, have been claimed by violent feuds made even more deadly by the availability of illegal firearms.

“Just last week, at a murder sentencing in Suffolk Superior Court, the judge heard words written by the victim’s mother. She wrote of the boundless love she had for her son and the devastating heartbreak of losing him to violence. And this woman who had every reason to lash out and condemn the man who took her boy’s life instead made a different choice. Instead, she forgave him.

“So I put this to the young men out there carrying guns they’re all too ready to use. If a mother can forgive the man who murdered the light of her life, you can find it in yourselves to end the feuds that lead to shootings like this one. And as a society, we can find it in ourselves to pick up the work that Dawn Jaffier left for us – to build bridges, to connect people, and to nurture the children who need us so that not one more family has to endure the tragedy that hers is living through today.

“Again, our investigation remains very active, with police and prosecutors working hand in hand to bring the Jaffier family some measure of justice in the face of their loss. Every witness helps. Every piece of information helps. Thank you.”

Double Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, 1 Injured in Mattapan

Kelsey Luing — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 19:03:50 -0400

One woman has died and another was injured in a double shooting in Mattapan Saturday morning, authorities said.

Shortly after 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23, Boston police officers responded to the sound of gunshots at the intersection of Charlotte Street and Blue Hill in Dorchester. Upon arrival, they found Dawnn Jaffier, 26, of Boston suffering a gunshot wound to the head. Jaffier was taken to Boston Medical Center, where she eventually died. A second female victim, also in her 20s, was transported to Carney Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg.

Keith Williams, 18, of Boston was arrested and charged with illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition after cops saw him fleeing the scene. Two other individuals were also interviewed in connection with the incident, but released.

Jaffier, a UMass Amherst graduate, was characterized by police as an "innocent victim." She was marching in the D'ouvert Parade in Dorchester when she died.

A full update from BPD is after the jump.

At about 8:17 a.m. on Saturday, August 23, 2014, Boston police officers assigned to the J’Ouvert Parade responded to the sound of gunshots in the area of Charlotte Street and Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester in District B-3 (Mattapan).

Officers observed a female victim in her early 20s outside the above suffering from what appeared to be life-threatening gunshot wounds. The victim was transported by Boston EMS to Boston Medical Center where she was later pronounced deceased.

Alert officers observed three individuals running from the shooting scene on foot. Officers pursued these individuals and, with the assistance of additional responding officers, were able to detain them a short distance away. A firearm was also recovered near the scene.

A second female victim in her early 20s suffering from what appeared to be non-life-threatening gunshot injuries was also found in the area of 783 Blue Hill Ave. This victim was transported by Boston EMS to Carney Hospital.

The Boston Police Department is actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Homicide detectives at (617) 343-4470.

Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1(800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of those who wish to help this investigation anonymously.

A copy of Jaffier's incident report has been added below.

Keith Williams | Homicide Watch Boston

Teen Arraigned in Murder of Dawnn Jaffier

Double Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, 1 Injured in Mattapan