Woman Admits Perjury in ’07 Homicide Investigation

A Roxbury woman this week admitted to lying to the Suffolk County Grand Jury as it investigated the shooting death of 13-year-old Luis Gerena in 2007, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DESTINY GUNN (D.O.B. 9/2/89) pleaded guilty Tuesday to the crime of perjury, making her the third defendant to be convicted in Gerena’s Jan. 12, 2007, slaying amid a gang feud in which he had no part.

Gunn drove Gerena’s killers, NURUDEEN ALABI (D.O.B. 11/6/89) and DARRELL RODRIGUES (D.O.B. 5/24/90), to the boy’s neighborhood on the evening he was killed. The men had the intention of robbing and shooting a rival. Instead, they encountered Gerena – an innocent boy with no gang ties who was returning from a visit to a friend’s house. They surrounded him, robbed him of a cell phone, and shot him dead. Gunn then drove the men back from the scene and, later, was present in a car when they put a gun to another witness’ head.

Both of Gerena’s killers were Academy Homes gang members and are serving state prison sentences after admitting their roles in the slaying.

Conley said his office would be seeking a state prison term for Gunn, who was one of several witnesses to turn their backs on Boston Police and Suffolk prosecutors trying to find justice for Gerena’s family. Had the case proceeded to trial, Assistant District Attorney Dana Pierce would have introduced evidence to prove that that Gunn lied to grand jurors by telling them she didn’t remember driving Gerena’s killers to or from the scene, and by testifying that she was not in the car when they pointed a gun at and threatened another witness.

Gunn faces sentencing on Dec. 20. She is represented by attorney Charles Jordan.