A second man charged in connection with the fatal 2009 shooting of 36-year-old Tyrone Smith pleaded guilty today, accepting more than 20 years in prison rather than face trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DARYL PULLEN (D.O.B. 6/20/88) pleaded guilty to manslaughter, assault, and weapons charges for taking part in the Jan. 7, 2009, shooting that left Smith dead in the foyer of a relative’s home. The man who fired the fatal shots, TREVON MASON (D.O.B. 12/30/87), is currently serving a life term for his role in the same incident.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Thomas Connors sentenced Pullen to a term of 18 to 20 years on the homicide and assault charges plus an additional three to four years on the firearms charges for a total of 21 to 24 years in state prison.

“For more than two years, Tyrone Smith’s family has lived in the aftermath of deadly violence,” Conley said. “Despite the fear and loss that weighed upon them, though, they showed courage, strength, and grace that left seasoned prosecutors speechless. We know the end of this case isn’t the end of their pain, but we hope it gives them some sense of satisfaction that justice was done on Tyrone’s behalf and that both defendants were held accountable for their actions that terrible night.”

Prior to imposing the sentence, Connors heard statements by Smith’s cousin, who was also injured in the attack and whose son was with her at the time.

The cousin said that, before the shooting, she “always had a positive attitude about life,” but lost that attitude when her cousin’s life was taken and she and her son could have suffered the same fate but for his last heroic effort to shield them from the gunfire.

“For the first time, I have physical disorders,” she said. “I can’t do all the things I used to do. My family isn’t the same and that’s what bothers me the most … I pray that no other family goes through the tragedy my family went through.”

The mother of Smith’s two children also addressed the court and defendant.

“I wish that for one minute you realized who and what you took from us,” she said. “Tyrone wasn’t just anybody. He was my best friend, he was his mother’s only son, and he was his sister’s big brother, but most of all he was our protector. Since that day … our smiles are always followed by tears. Tyrone touched each one of us in a different way.”

Had the case proceeded to trial, Assistant District Attorney Ursula Knight of Conley’s Homicide Unit would have introduced evidence and testimony to show that Pullen and Mason fired on Smith, his cousin, and her young child as they entered the foyer at 96 Stanwood St. just after 9:00 p.m.

In his final living act, Smith shielded his cousin and her child with his body, likely saving their lives.
In those same moments, Knight would have shown, Mason ran up the steps, approached the foyer and continued to fire at the victims at close range, striking Smith multiple times and the surviving victim once in the shoulder. The child was physically unharmed.

Smith succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter; the surviving victim was transported to Boston Medical Center, where she was treated for her injuries.

Both defendants fled the area. Boston Police officers responded within minutes after receiving 911 calls and ShotSpotter system notifications.

Mason was found hiding in the back porch of a nearby home shortly after Boston Police arrived after officers observed footprints in the snow leading toward that spot from another nearby porch; under that porch, they recovered a handgun that was later matched to the bullets that struck both victims.

Pullen was detained nearby a short time later as Boston Police converged on the area. He was transported to Boston Police Headquarters, where he gave a statement and was later released. As the investigation developed additional evidence, detectives spoke with him again and he admitted to taking part in the incident.

Michael Schultz was the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Pullen was represented by attorney William Crowe.