BOSTON, Feb. 18, 2015—A Suffolk Superior Court jury today convicted the two individuals charged in the homicide of 39-year-old Cherby LaJoie, who died after being stabbed 41 times, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

After four days of deliberations, a Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted ERNEST WATKINS IV (D.O.B. 1/14/98) of Dorchester of involuntary manslaughter and TARAYIAH “TIP” HUNT (D.O.B. 1/1/92) of Dorchester of second-degree murder in LaJoie’s Oct. 6, 2012 homicide.  Both had been indicted for first-degree murder.

During a trial that began Jan. 16, Assistant District Attorney Mark Hallal introduced evidence and testimony to prove that Watkins, then age 14, and Hunt were among a group of four people who set upon LaJoie as he walked on Charles Street in Dorchester, beating and stabbing him.  The group fled after witnesses driving by stopped their vehicle with the intent of helping the victim.

Hallal presented surveillance images that depict the group fleeing into the Fields Corner MBTA station, where Watkins walked out of the view of a camera and then returned.  In the area where he was not captured on video, Boston Police homicide detectives located a knife with the blade’s tip missing; the tip of that blade was recovered from LaJoie’s body during the course of an autopsy, the evidence proved.

Near LaJoie’s body, police discovered a trail of blood that DNA testing would later match to Hunt, who suffered a hand injury during the assault on LaJoie.  Surveillance images showed Hunt walking along the same path marked by the blood trail through the train station and onto Faulkner Street.

Also recovered at the scene was a key on a shoe lace that, the evidence showed, opened the front door to Watkin’s Wentworth Street home.  DNA from both Watkins and LaJoie was found on the shoelace, the evidence showed.

Hallal was assisted in the prosecution by Assistant District Attorney Craig Iannini and Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Sears.  Watkins is represented by attorney Janice Bassil and Hunt by Timothy Bradl.  Sentencing before Judge Kenneth Fishman will take place March 6.

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