Prosecutors in the murder case of Irishman Ciaran Conneely have filed a motion to have all outstanding charges against the accused John Graham to be heard in a single trial.
Known as ‘Kiwi’ to his friends, Conneely, originally from the Aran Islands had lived in the U.S for over ten years and had been returning home from a local Irish heritage festival in Dorchester when he was murdered. According to the prosecutors report, Graham allegedly approached Conneely with the intent to rob the Irishman in October 2011.
In admissions to relatives after the murder, Graham allegedly stated that he started counting down the seconds when making the robbery demand of Conneely, and shot him when he failed to oblige.
Conneely died from a single gunshot to his chest. His body was found by a neighbor soon after.Currently Graham is awaiting trial on two separate indictments.
Conneely’s death took place on October 10, 2011, Graham faces charges of first-degree murder, armed assault with intent to rob and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Later that same month, Graham, allegedly followed two young men on Dorchester Ave., and after failing to acquire money of either men, open fired on both of them. For this, he has been indicted on two counts of armed assault with intent to rob, an additional count of unlawful possession of a firearm, armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon.
Prosecutors argued that there is enough evidence to connect these two criminal episodes to the accused and therefore having a single trial would save an overlapping of admissible evidence including civilian, police and forensic witnesses.
Graham has pleaded not guilty to all nine charges, including the first-degree murder of the Galway native. The suspect who was 16 at the time the crimes were committed is being tried as an adult as mandated by State law.
The ruling in the motion for a single trial of all charges is currently under advisement.
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