Jury convicts Mattapan man of first-degree murder in 2021 Roxbury stabbing death

BOSTON, November 15, 2023 – A Suffolk County jury today convicted a Mattapan man of stabbing a Boston man to death after the victim attempted to protect his girlfriend, who was being confronted by the defendant and two other men, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced. 

The jury convicted KARONN BROWN, 51, of first-degree murder in the August 2021 death of Ricardo Garcia, 34.  First-degree murder convictions in Massachusetts carry an automatic sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole.  Brown will be sentenced by Judge Mark Hallal on Monday. Victim impact statements are expected to be delivered at the sentencing.

Brown’s co-defendants, DERRELL SANFORD, 28, of Boston and DRAVON ROBINSON, 38, of Everett, are scheduled for trial on January 8.

On the morning of August 8, 2021, Brown, Sanford and Robinson were driving through Roxbury when they exited their vehicle and approached Garcia’s girlfriend. The three men had approached other women in the area.  When Garcia ran over to defend his girlfriend, Brown and his co-defendants beat and stabbed him.  Garcia was transported to a local hospital, where he died.

“This was a cold, cruel murder preceded by nothing more than a man seeing his girlfriend in a threatening situation and coming to her aid.  I thank the jury for their verdict and I offer my deepest sympathies to Ricardo Garcia’s family and friends,” Hayden said.

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.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications