A Dorchester man faces life in prison following his conviction this afternoon for the 2002 murder of 10-year-old Trina Persad, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury deliberated for about three full days before finding JOSEPH COUSIN (D.O.B. 8/9/84) guilty of second-degree murder for fatally shooting the child on the evening of June 29, 2002. Jurors also convicted him of receiving a stolen motor vehicle – the stolen car from which the fatal shot was fired – and unlawful possession of the firearm that took her life.

Jurors acquitted Cousin of unlawfully possessing a sawed-off shotgun; earlier in the day, they requested re-instruction on the legal definition of that term.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Nancy Staffier Holtz will sentence Cousin to a mandatory life term tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Second-degree murder allows for the possibility of parole after 15 years.

“This was a jury that found the facts and applied the law,” Conley said. “They looked at the evidence, they looked at the alibi, and they looked at every element of every indictment. We hope this verdict provides Trina’s family with some satisfaction that justice has finally been done on her behalf.”

During about two weeks of testimony, First Assistant District Attorney Josh Wall introduced evidence and testimony proving that Cousin was part of a gang known as MIC for its association with Magnolia Street, Intervale Street, and Columbia Road that had a violent, running feud with the Big Head Boyz, associated with the areas of Brunswick, Creston, and Fayston Street.

Wall proved that Cousin enjoined a fellow gang member to steal a car so they could go on a “mission” to retaliate against the Big Head Boyz for an earlier shooting. They drove to Jermaine Goffigan Park – named after another child slain by an errant bullet meant for a gang rival.

At that moment, Persad, her two siblings, and an adult family friend were enjoying the summer evening. The adult saw Cousin and members of the Big Head Boyz exchanging words and decided to take the children home.

The stolen car circled the playground as she led the children to the street. It pulled up once again. The rear winder rolled down. The barrel of a shotgun came out.

Medical records showed that the child was hit full in the face by the shotgun blast, suggesting that she was looking right at it when it fired. The pellets crashed through her face and skull into her brain, causing injuries that claimed her life.

Cousin was arrested standing next to the stolen car about 15 minutes after the shooting. An around-the-clock investigation by Boston Police homicide detectives developed evidence linking Cousin not only to the vehicle but also to the shooting itself.

Among witnesses who testified for the prosecution were one of Cousin’s fellow MIC members and two members of the rival Big Head Boyz. In addition to their testimony prosecutors introduced fingerprints, ballistic evidence, and Cousin’s own statements.

Cousin first went to trial for Persad’s murder in 2004. Those proceedings ended in a mistrial when several jurors were found to have lied on their jury questionnaires and there were insufficient alternates to replace them.

Michael Coffey was the victim-witness advocate assigned to the case. Cousin was represented by attorney William White.