BOSTON, June 12, 2015—The man who gunned down Demetrius Blocker in a likely case of mistaken identity was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2010 Mission Hill slaying, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.
After two days of deliberations, a Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted KEITH HOBBS (D.O.B. 2/1/86) of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm in the Dec. 16, 2010, homicide. He faces a mandatory life term when he is sentenced at 9:00 Tuesday morning.
Assistant District Attorneys Masai King and Montez Haywood introduced evidence and testimony during about a week and a half of trial proving that Hobbs opened fire in the rear parking area of 48 Horadan Way, striking Blocker, who was simply waiting for a relative and was not involved with guns, gangs, or violence. Hobbs then fled on foot toward Huntington Avenue, tossing the firearm in a dumpster along the way.
Blocker, 21, was rushed to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he died of his injuries. Nearby cameras captured part of the gunman’s escape, but his identity remained unknown until a civilian witness identified him.
“Outdoor shootings are statistically the most difficult to solve,” Conley said. “The video evidence was helpful, but we could not have achieved this result without witness testimony. I want to thank Boston Police detectives and Suffolk prosecutors for their determination to see justice done in this case, and I want to acknowledge the key role that the media and the community played in helping to solve it.”
Hobbs was charged with murder in April 2012 after authorities developed critical identification evidence. At the time the warrant issued, Hobbs was serving a three-year prison sentence for a 2011 arrest for possession of a firearm and possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute.
Katherine Moran was the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Hobbs was represented by attorney William White.
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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
