Man Gets 35 Years In Manchester Restaurant Murder Case

MANCHESTER, CT — A man accused of killing a fellow employee at a Manchester restaurant was given a 35-year prison sentence this week, judicial system records indicate.

James Goolsby, 29, who has been held on a $1 million bond in the case that dates back almost a year, had entered a guilty plea to a murder charge on Nov. 7.

It's the second guilty plea in the case. On Sept. 5, 23-year-old Leanne Robitaille pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution and was sentenced to five years in prison, suspended after one year, with three years probation, court records indicate.

The shooting took place at 11:45 a.m. on Dec. 30 at Bonchon Restaurant on Pleasant Valley Road. Norris Jackson, 36, of East Hartford, died as a result of his wounds.

According to case records, Goolsby, the kitchen manager at Bonchon, was talking to a kitchen employee about a negative review the restaurant received on Yelp. Jackson, also an employee, interjected and the discussion became volatile, according to case records.

Photo Credit: Manchester police

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