BOSTON, Nov. 26, 2014—Two men pleaded guilty this week to their roles in unrelated homicides in Boston and Chelsea, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

On Monday, ANDRE McNEIL (D.O.B. 10/25/89) of Brockton pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the Nov. 14, 2007, shooting death of 17-year-old David Jones. At the request of Assistant District Attorney Mark Zanini, Judge Jeffrey Locke sentenced McNeil to 12 years in state prison.

Had the case proceeded to trial, Zanini would have introduced evidence and testimony to prove that McNeil believed Jones was affiliated with a rival group. Prosecutors would have sought to prove that McNeil shot Jones twice, causing injuries that killed him at the scene.

It would be more than four years before authorities developed evidence sufficient to charge McNeil. That evidence came amid an extensive investigation by Suffolk prosecutors in the grand jury and Boston Police homicide detectives on the street. A complaint charging McNeil with murder was approved in January 2012 and he was arrested a short time later.

Today, ELDER PORTILLO (D.O.B. 8/1/94) of Chelsea pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his role in the shooting death of Elder Morales-Aldana on Blossom Street, receiving a 10-year state prison sentence followed by five years of probation. Portillo admitted to taking part in the March 5, 2013, attack that culminated in Morales-Aldana’s shooting death at the hands of JONATHAN CASTRO (D.O.B. 7/30/90).

Castro is currently serving a life term for shooting Morales-Aldana to death. He was arrested on the night of the murder by Chelsea Police and State Police homicide detectives assigned to Conley’s office. A third defendant, ERICK ROMERO (D.O.B. 7/2/98), who was a juvenile at the time of the homicide, is charged with manslaughter for his role in the fatal attack.

He and Portillo were identified in the course of a months-long grand jury investigation.

McNeil was represented by attorney Robert Wheeler and Portillo by attorney Lorenzo Perez.

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