BOSTON, April 6, 2015— The man who fatally shot 30-year-old Dinorris Alston was sentenced to life in prison and an additional term of 12 years for shooting and injuring the man’s companion as they sat in a car enjoying a warm April day three years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.
MAURICE “MO” JONES (D.O.B. 12/29/93) appeared in Suffolk Superior Court today for sentencing after a jury convicted him last month of first-degree murder under the theories of premeditated murder and extreme atrocity and cruelty, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Assistant District Attorney Julie Higgins of the DA’s Homicide Unit asked Judge Linda Giles to impose the mandatory sentence for first-degree murder of life in prison without the possibility of parole, followed by consecutive terms of 14 to 15 years for the assault on the surviving victim and four to five years on the firearm charge. Giles imposed the mandated life term and a consecutive term of eight to 12 years in prison for the non-fatal shooting and a concurrent sentence of three to four years for carrying the illegal firearm that he used in the April 17, 2012, shootings.
Higgins and Assistant District Attorney Ryan Mingo presented evidence and testimony during a weeklong trial to prove that Jones approached the passenger side of a motor vehicle parked on Dunreath Street and opened fire on its occupants at approximately 4:00 p.m. on April 17, 2012. Alston, who sat in the car’s passenger seat, suffered five gunshot wounds; his companion sustained a gunshot wound that entered through her hip and exited her back.
Alston shifted the vehicle into gear and told his companion, “go.” The woman drove to a nearby gas station for help.
Boston Police homicide detectives obtained witness statements describing the gunman’s clothing; officers who spoke with Jones shortly after the shooting observed that he wore clothing matching that described by the witnesses. One witness who was known to Jones testified to seeing him flee the scene of the shooting after the sound of gunshots rang out. Cell phone records and other evidence also place Jones at the scene.
Before imposing the sentence, Giles listened to impact statements delivered by the victims’ family members.
“You may have taken our brother, son, uncle, and cousin from this earth. You may have even put a hole in our hearts, but the love that we all have will always fill that void. Nothing or no one will ever take the laughter, the joy, the time, the love, and the memories that we shared as a family from us,” Alston’s sister said.
“April 17th is a day that changed my life; I lost someone and lost a part of my sense of peace,” the surviving victim wrote in a statement that was read in court by a family member.
Jones’ first trial ended in a mistrial in June after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. A second jury deliberated for approximately two days before convicting him of murder, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm but acquitting him of armed assault with intent to murder.
Timothy Munzert was the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Jones was represented by Earl Howard.
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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
