BOSTON, Feb. 3, 2014—The Dorchester man who gunned down 25-year-old Jason Withers inside a Grove Hall convenience store was sentenced today to life in prison, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

After nearly three full days of deliberations, jurors late yesterday convicted RAMON DINGLE-SMITH (D.O.B. 6/21/92) of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with Withers’ 2012 slaying. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders today imposed the mandatory sentence for first-degree murder of life in prison without the possibility of parole.  At the request of Assistant District Attorney Amy Galatis of the DA’s Homicide Unit, Sanders imposed a concurrent sentence of to four to five years in state prison for the firearm offense.

During eight days of testimony that began and ended last month, Galatis proved that Dingle-Smith drove a Ford Taurus to a now-closed 24-hour convenience store at 655 Warren St. in the early morning hours of March 31, 2012. He walked inside at about 4:15 a.m. and stood at the cash register briefly before leaving the store. Withers was present in the store at that time, keeping an employee friend company.

Approximately 10 minutes later, the evidence showed, Dingle-Smith approached the store on foot with the Taurus following slowly behind.  Upon entering the store, he opened fire on Withers, Galatis proved.  Dingle-Smith then fled on foot to Hartwell Street, where he was picked up by the same vehicle.

Withers suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.

Based on evidence developed by Boston Police homicide detectives, Suffolk prosecutors authorized a warrant for Dingle-Smith’s arrest later that summer. Included in that evidence were witness statements, surveillance images from multiple locations, and cell phone records that placed Dingle-Smith along the same path as the Taurus.

Rebecca Harris was the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate.  Dingle-Smith was represented by attorney Willie Davis.

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