Two Men Sentenced to Life in Prison in Roxbury Homicide Case
BOSTON, June 23, 2022— Two Boston men were sentenced today for the fatal shooting of a young man in a Mission Hill parking lot in 2015, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
Suffolk Superior Court Judge Michael Ricciuti sentenced JEROME MEADE, 27, and JAVIER SMITH, 26, to life in prison with no possibility of parole and life in prison with parole possibility in 15 years, respectively, for the murder of 23-year-old Luis Bodden-Maximo.
A jury on May 18 convicted Meade on five different charges, including first-degree murder and possession of an illegal firearm. The jury convicted Smith of second-degree murder.
On September 16, 2015, Bodden-Maximo and his girlfriend went to TGI Friday’s on Tremont Street in Roxbury for lunch. Shortly after they entered the restaurant, Smith walked in and made eye contact with the victim and his girlfriend. Bodden-Maximo recognized Smith and immediately exited the restaurant.
As Bodden-Maximo and his girlfriend entered their vehicle in the rear parking lot, Meade approached him and said “you’re an opp.” He then fired at Bodden-Maximo with a handgun. Bodden-Maximo began to run. Meade chased after him and continued shooting. Bodden-Maximo fell face down onto the ground, where Meade continued to shoot at him.
Bodden-Maximo was pronounced dead at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Bodden-Maximo was a son and a brother. At the sentencing Melinda Bodden, the victim’s mother, read a statement that she wrote, as well as one that her 17-year-old daughter, and Bodden-Maximo’s sister, wrote.
“When I heard the verdict, I thought, ‘my son can rest in peace now,’ but then I was sad because I thought, ‘nothing will bring my son back,’” she said.
Hayden said the decisions made by Meade and Smith that day ended one life, upended two others and dramatically altered many more.
“One young man is dead, chased and shot in front of his girlfriend during a lunch date. Two other young men are going to spend many years in prison. And many others, including family and friends, must forever live with loss and grief in their hearts. All because of quick, terrible decisions,” Hayden said.
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.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications