Crime & Safety
Man Guilty Of First-Degree Murder In 2003 Shooting Of Worcester Man
Tyrone Strong found guilty of murder by a jury in Worcester.
WORCESTER, MA—A man involved in an armed robbery in which a man was shot multiple times in Fitchburg was found guilty of first-degree murder.
A Worcester Superior Court jury on Wednesday found Tyrone C. Strong guilty of first-degree murder in the 2003 shooting death of Christian A. Perez in Fitchburg, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr..
Perez, 23, of Worcester, was shot multiple times on Sept. 2, 2003, in an armed robbery on Middle Street in Fitchburg.
Judge Richard T. Tucker scheduled sentencing for 2 p.m. Friday.
Prosecutors said that Strong and three other men were joint venturers in a plan to rob Mr. Perez of drugs and other items and that Perez was killed during the robbery.
Strong and the other three men were stopped by State Police about 45 minutes after the shooting on Route 2 in Harvard, said Early in an annoucement. Drugs and guns as well as items belonging to Perez were found in the vehicle. Ballistics testing indicated that the firearms found in the vehicle did not match the weapon used in the fatal shooting.
“This was an extremely difficult case from start to finish,” Early said in a statement. “Our prosecution team of Brett F. Dillon and John H. Melander along with Fitchburg Police and State Police deserve credit for not backing down in their quest for justice.”
The other three men in the car with Strong were also indicted for murder. Tony Ancrum was found not guilty in September. The murder charge against Mitchell Rivera was dismissed in February. His brother, Giovanni Rivera, is awaiting trial.
