Brockton Man Gets Life in Prison for Murder

From the Plymouth County District Attorney's office:

A Brockton man who brutally beat and left a mother of five to die, has been found guilty at trial, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced today.

After a five-day trial, a jury deliberated less than two hours before finding George Rhodes, 49, guilty on one count of first degree murder in the death of 54-year-old Sabrina McLean. Brockton Superior Court Judge Richard Chin sentenced Rhodes to serve life in prison at MCI-Cedar Junction.

“On September 8, 2014, 54-year-old Sabrina McLean was taken from her five children and grandchildren for absolutely no reason,” DA Cruz said. “Her children sat through this trial and heard grueling details of how Mr. Rhodes left their mother to die alone in the dark that night. We thank the jury for seeing the facts of this case and delivering justice to the McLean family.”

On September 8, 2014 from 10:20 to 10:55 pm, Rhodes and McLean were captured on surveillance video walking along Main Street in Brockton, with the defendant carrying a white bag that belonged to McLean. The two walked toward a parking garage alcove located at Frederick Douglas Avenue and L Street and disappeared from camera view. Approximately 10 minutes later, Rhodes emerged from the garage alone and carrying McLean’s white bag. Shortly thereafter, the investigation found, a tow truck driver entered the garage to back his truck into its nightly parking space at the garage, inadvertently backing over an unconscious McLean. The driver exited the truck and found McLean, lying next to the rear, passenger-side wheel of his truck, face down in a pool of blood, suffering from serious injuries. The tow truck driver called

911 and another witness at the scene attempted to administer first aid before Brockton Police and EMS responded. McLean was transported to Brockton Hospital where she was pronounced dead of her injuries.

Rhodes was apprehended by Brockton Police on September 10, 2014, with blood from the victim still on his glasses and sneakers. At trial, the jury heard from the Medical Examiner’s Office that reported that the victim suffered multiple injuries including three distinct lacerations to her forehead, bruising below her left eye and left side of the face, superficial brain hemorrhage, fractured ribs, internal bleeding, lacerations to the diaphragm and liver, a pelvic fracture, and abrasions to her right leg and foot. The Medical Examiner testified that McLean died as a result of multiple blunt force trauma to the head and torso areas.