“Why would you take away the person that I looked up to?” Murder Victim’s Son Asks Killers at Sentencing

BOSTON, March 17, 2022—Deondra Lee’s family addressed the court – and his killers – as the men convicted of his murder were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today, District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.

MICHAEL CARLETON and TRAVIS PHILLIPS were sentenced today to the mandatory term for first-degree murder – life in prison without the possibility of parole.  A Suffolk Superior Court jury yesterday found both men guilty of the murder charge as well as firearm offenses in connection with the 2018 shooting death of Deondra Lee. Lee had been watching fireworks with his family on July 4, 2018, when Carleton and Phillips drove behind Lee and shot him.

“There is no verdict and no sentence that can bring Lee back or undo the pain and trauma his murder has caused his loved ones and the community. What we can offer is accountability and the promise that the men who robbed him of his life through a senseless act of violence will not have the opportunity to inflict further harm in the community,” District Attorney Hayden said.

Lee's family gave victim impact statements to Judge Ullman before sentencing.

"Never would I have imagined that I would be a widow at age 35," Lee’s wife told the court. "I never thought that I would watch my husband murdered in front of me while my boys played across the street. Exactly a week later, I gave birth to our twins alone. While I should be excited about the birth of our twins, I was preoccupied with the trauma of being shot at, witnessing my husband being murdered, and then ultimately planning my husband's funeral, while at the same time caring for two newborn babies. Because of you, my twins will never meet their father."

"Because of what you did, I will suffer," Lee’s 11-year-old son wrote in a statement read in court by ADA Craig Iannini. "On Father's Day, I will be the only one without a dad to celebrate Father's Day with. On his birthday, what will I do to celebrate his birthday?  You took the only dad I had in my life, and he was the best dad I could ever imagine. You took the person who was going to teach me how to be a man, teach me how to do things on my own like fix things. Why would you take away the person that I looked up to? Who is going to teach me how to shave my mustache and beard?"

"What hurt the most is that I didn't get to say goodbye or tell him I love him," Lee’s brother said in a statement read by Iannini. "I didn't get a chance to see his big smile one last time, hear his laugh, listen to him crack jokes, or telling stories about something he accomplished. Instead, that chance was taken from me. From my mom, from our brothers, from his wife. From his two oldest sons, and his twins who didn't even get to meet him. The big question is why, why, why? Why would they do this to my mom after she's already lost one son? Why would they do this to his wife and kids? Why would they do this to me and his other brothers? Still, why?"

On the night of July 4, 2018, Lee and his wife were watching a firework display near the corner of Dacia and Brookford streets in Dorchester. They were attending a cookout hosted by a neighbor and walked down the street for a better view. Carlton drove directly behind where Lee and his wife were sitting, and Phillips fired several shots from point-blank range. Lee was taken to Boston Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.

The case was prosecuted by ADA Iannini and ADA Alexandra Rahimi. Anite Cetoute of the District Attorney’s Homicide Unit is the assigned victim witness advocate.

          James Borghesani, Chief of Communications

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

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.