A woman from Fall River will be spending the next decade behind bars following her conviction in a fatal road rage incident that took its violent toll in Brockton, officials said. Jacqueline Mendes, 36, received a sentence of 10 to 12 years in state prison after a jury found her guilty of stabbing Jennifer Landry, 41, who succumbed to her wounds back in 2019.
The altercation, which spun out of control on the streets, concluded with Landry bleeding from a severe neck stab wound inflicted by Mendes. Despite life-saving attempts including a medflight to Boston Medical Center, Landry was pronounced dead. According to the Boston Globe, the Plymouth District Attorney’s office confirmed the details of the sentencing that took place last Thursday at Brockton Superior Court. Mendes was also convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Investigations uncovered that the heated exchange escalated after both drivers got out of their cars on Belmont Street. After the deadly encounter, Fall River Reporter indicated a witness heard Mendes say "I’ve got something for you, b****," before she stabbed Landry and fled the scene.
Mendes had presented a claim of self-defense during her trial, arguing that Landry had been the initial aggressor in the confrontation. Mendes’ attorney detailed to the court how the victim was the one to first exit her vehicle after Mendes honked at her for repeatedly breaking in front of her, Mendes claimed Landry also had a knife, which was found closed at the scene. Despite those claims, the jury was not swayed in her favor. As reported by WBSM, Mendes turned herself into the Brockton Police approximately fifteen minutes after the incident, acknowledging her involvement in an altercation that may have led to a stabbing.
The commonwealth had sought a longer sentence of 13 to 17 years, yet the court settled on a lesser term.
