Hartford Man, 30, Gets Decades Behind Bars For Murder: State

HARTFORD, CT — A 30-year-old Hartford man will spend the next five decades behind bars for murdering a 23-year-old city man back in 2019.

Hartford County State's Attorney Sharmese L. Walcott Monday said Judge Carl J. Schuman Friday sentenced Joseph Thorpe, 30, of Hartford, to 50 years in prison for the 2019 murder of Roberto Vargas, 23, in Hartford.

A jury in Hartford Superior Court on July 12 found Thorpe guilty of murder.

According to evidence introduced at trial, in the early morning hours of Aug. 3, 2019, the City of Hartford’s Shot Spotter system detected gunfire in an area of Farmington Avenue in Hartford.

Walcott said officers dispatched to the area found the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

He was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, she said.

During the investigation, witnesses provided information that led to Thorpe’s arrest.

When questioned by police, Thorpe admitted to selling drugs to the victim that night, according to Walcott.

Evidence presented at trial showed the victim was shot in the back as he ran away from the defendant, authorities said.

For the full announcement of the sentencing, click on this link.