Hartford Man Sent To Prison For 2020 Killing: State

HARTFORD, CT — A Hartford man was sent to prison Tuesday for fatally shooting a 27-year-old man in Connecticut's capital city back in 2020.

Hartford District State's Attorney Sharmese L. Walcott said Judge Nuala E. Droney sentenced Yamil Rohena, 28, of Hartford, to 45 years in prison for the murder of Hartford resident Kwadir Paris, 27.

On Jan. 12, a Hartford Superior Court jury found Rohena guilty of the crime of murder.

Walcott said, in a separate proceeding outside the jury Jan. 12, Droney found Rohena guilty of criminal possession of a firearm and violation of his probation from a first-degree assault conviction in 2017.

According to Walcott, evidence presented in court Jan. 4 showed the victim was shot at six times by the defendant in front of his home on Martin Street.

She said prosecutors displayed footage from City of Hartford cameras as well as surveillance images from a nearby residence.

The footage, Walcott said, captured the moments of the shooting and the defendant leaving the crime scene.

Witnesses at trial also identified Rohena as the shooter.

During sentencing remarks, Droney spoke about the senseless nature of the crime and the impact gun violence has had on the city of Hartford and the families who reside there.

“I am thankful for Judge Droney’s comments at sentencing about how this senseless act of violence not only impacted the family of Mr. Paris but also affected the entire community,” Walcott said in a statement released Tuesday by the state Division of Criminal Justice.

“It’s important that the system recognizes and addresses the lasting impact violent crime has on our communities."

This case was prosecuted by Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Stacey Cox and Assistant State’s Attorney Kelly Davis, with the assistance of Inspector Luis Rodriguez and Paralegal Specialist Kelly De La Cruz.

For the full Division of Criminal Justice announcement, click on this link.