The Supreme Judicial Court has ordered a new trial for Keith Williams, who was convicted of firing the shot that killed 26-year-old Dawnn Jaffier as she attended Boston's J'ouvert celebration in 2014. The state's highest court ruled that Williams's Suffolk Superior Court trial was constitutionally flawed because jurors heard gunshot residue evidence that should never have been admitted.
Prosecutors' account, as reported by boston.com, was that Williams fired the fatal shot while Colas took part in the confrontation but did not shoot. The SJC ruled that testimony based on two gunshot-residue particles found on Williams's hands should not have been admitted.
Gunshot-residue testing looks for materials including barium nitrate, lead styphnate and antimony sulfide. The SJC found the two-particle sample unreliable. Justice Elizabeth N. Dewar wrote that the disputed testimony figured prominently in the Commonwealth's case and that the evidence identifying Williams as the shooter was not overwhelming. The court found the error prejudicial, while rejecting Williams's separate argument that the evidence was insufficient to prove deliberate premeditation.
What Happened at the Convenience Store
The shooting occurred on August 23, 2014, during a confrontation involving Williams and Colas. Prosecutors allege Williams fired several shots from a .357 caliber pistol. Jaffier, who was attending the nearby J'ouvert celebration, was struck in the head and killed. According to the underlying case record, surveillance footage showed Williams outside the store about an hour before the shooting and holding the murder weapon seconds after it.
Boston's Carnival Celebration
According to GBH News, Boston's carnival celebration began in 1973 and marked its 50th year in 2023.
Williams was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. His attorney, Robert F. Shaw Jr., has said Williams was wrongly identified as Jaffier's killer and was not the person who fired the gun.
A Second Defendant's Case Already Resolved
Colas's case took a different path. In 2021, the SJC overturned his first-degree murder conviction, finding that pointing a firearm during an argument did not meet the Commonwealth's burden without evidence that he possessed a loaded firearm or fired it, boston.com reported. The court ordered a new trial on a second-degree murder charge. In 2022, Colas pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
The report also noted that first-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole, while a second-degree murder conviction can allow parole eligibility.
Remembering Dawnn Jaffier
Jaffier worked at a city elementary school and a Boys & Girls Club.
Andrea Howard has said the prospect of Williams's case going back to trial is painful for those who knew Jaffier. More than a decade after her death at a celebration meant to bring the community together, her case remains unresolved as it heads toward another courtroom proceeding.
