Deliberations begin in murder, assault trial
Jun. 14—SALEM, Mass. — After four days of testimony, jurors in Hayden Delafuentes' first-degree murder case went behind closed doors to deliberate the fate of the 25-year-old Haverhill man.
Closing arguments in the case were heard Monday morning with Judge Thomas Dreschler giving directions to jurors afterward. They were sent to begin deliberations around 12:25 p.m.
Delafuentes is charged with the stabbing murder of Matthew Sabatino, 28, and also with stabbing Daniel Doore five times. The stabbings occurred in the early morning of May 28, 2017, in downtown Haverhill.
In addition to murder, Delafuentes is charged with armed assault to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury for the alleged attack on Doore.
Sabatino, who prosecutors said Delafuentes stabbed through the left ventricle of his heart, died June 8, 2017.
Delafuentes' criminal trial opened June 8, 2021 — exactly four years to the day after Sabatino's death.
The case is being prosecuted by Erin Bellavia and Jessica Strasnick, assistant district attorneys. Delafuentes' defense attorneys are John MacLachlan and Christopher Federico.
The penalty for first-degree murder is life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Delafuentes did not testify in his own defense. His lawyers' defense strategy was that prosecutors did not prove without a reasonable doubt that he committed the crimes.
Prosecutors called an array of witnesses, including Courtney Trussell, Sabatino's fiancee, and Courtney Valcourt, Doore's girlfriend, who were with the men when they were attacked and stabbed.
Trussell told jurors they started their night at the Oriental Gardens for drinks and appetizers. Later they went to the Chit Chat Lounge.
But when they left the Chit Chat and were standing outside, they encountered an angry Delafuentes, according to prosecutors.
Trussell said she was pushed by someone from behind and fell. When she got up, Sabatino "was holding his chest," she testified.
"I just saw blood. He pulled his hands down and all I could see was blood," said Trussell, adding that she panicked.
"He said, 'Babe, I'm sorry. I'm bleeding to death,'" Trussell continued. "I was shaking. I was crying. I was trying to hold pressure on his chest."
Valcourt testified after leaving the Chit Chat Lounge, she went into an alley to urinate.
When she came out of the alley, she was struck across the right side of her face and fell to the ground.
"I thought I was about to be raped actually," said Valcourt, who testified she immediately took notice of her surroundings. Then, after taking a deep breath, she said she stood up.
She saw a crowd of people gathered and heard someone scream.
"Then I saw Danny being laid down on the ground," said Valcourt, breaking into tears.
Valcourt said "there was a bunch of noise," but she tried to focus on Doore, her then-boyfriend and father of her two children. She recalled hearing people yelling for help.
"He was bleeding everywhere. I just saw blood everywhere," said Valcourt. "I was just so focused on him. I didn't know what happened."
An emergency room doctor also testified Delafuentes was injured that night. He had a laceration behind one of his ears but, despite the doctor's warnings, he refused medical treatment, she testified.
Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter @EagleTribJill.
