BOSTON, Feb. 28, 2014—A Dorchester man faces a life sentence for intentionally driving his car into 20-year-old James A. Taylor two years ago, killing him and fleeing the scene, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted ANTWAN WATHEY (D.O.B. 9/24/87) of second-degree murder for the April 13, 2012, incident in the area of Talbot Avenue and Westcott Street.

“This was not an accident,” Conley said. “This wasn’t negligent or reckless conduct. This was an intentional act using a motor vehicle as a weapon. It’s an appropriate verdict and I hope it Mr. Taylor’s family takes some satisfaction knowing the jury recognized the magnitude of this crime.”

In the aftermath of the jury’s verdict, Taylor’s father – the first trial’s first witness – took the stand to describe the loss his family suffered, especially Taylor’s younger brother, who cries when characters die in movies they watch together.

“It’s because he’s thinking of James,” the father said. “He wants to be a big brother to his 3-year-old brother, but he can’t look to James to help him because James isn’t here …. I’m glad this part is over, but we still face the difficulty of knowing he will never return.”

Assistant District Attorney Masai King introduced evidence and testimony over ten days of trial proving that Taylor was walking with friends in the early morning hours of April 13, 2012, after a night of drinking and socializing. When he got to the area of Talbot Avenue and Norwell Street, he encountered Wathey, with whom he had a prior dispute. The two men argued and then physically fought, but the altercation was broken up. Taylor turned his back and began walking away.

Evidence and testimony showed that Wathey got into his 2000 Mazda Millennia, accelerated down Talbot Avenue, and then intentionally veered into Taylor, causing massive injuries that left him mortally wounded. He was transported to Boston Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.

Based on the findings and opinions of crash reconstruction experts, witness statements obtained by Boston Police homicide detectives, and testimony elicited before the Suffolk county Grand Jury, prosecutors approved a warrant charging Wathey with murder. He arrested in California on July 26 and was indicted for first-degree murder on September 27.

King was assisted by Assistant District Attorney Cailin Campbell of the DA’s Appellate Division. Katherine Moran was the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Wathey was represented by attorneys John Salsberg and David Grimaldi. He will return to court on Monday morning for the imposition of his sentence.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.