Conviction in 2010 Stoughton Murder Upheld

STOUGHTON, MA — A Stoughton man convicted of a 2010 murder will remain behind bars following a decision from the state's highest court.

Monday, the state's Judicial Supreme Court upheld the 2013 conviction of 28-year-old Michael Blanchard. He was found guilty of using a 9 mm pistol to kill his rival Stephen Erving from outside the window of his first-floor bedroom on Lincoln St. at 3:30 a.m on March 16, 2010.

Blanchard was 21 years old at the time of the murder. He is currently serving a sentence for second degree murder. The defendant argued that he should have been convicted of manslaughter because he intended to use the gun to scare Erving, not kill him.

“The central appeal issue was that a notebook that was supposed to remain with the judge was brought into the jury room during deliberations, including some material that was not in evidence,” District Attorney Morrissey said in a release. “Judge Fahey handled the matter perfectly, not only avoiding what could have been a mistrial, but resolving the issue in a way that withstood appellate review.”

Following the guilty verdict, Blanchard was sentenced to life in prison on the murder charge, with a concurrent sentence of 2.5 years to 2.5 years-and-one-day in state prison for his conviction on carrying a firearm without a license.

Image via Stoughton Police Department