Jury finds Delafuentes guilty of Haverhill murder
Jun. 15—SALEM, Mass. — A jury on Tuesday found Hayden Delafuentes guilty of murdering a man on Washington Street in Haverhill four years ago.
Jurors agreed that Delafuentes, 25, committed the second degree murder of Matthew Sabatino, 28, who was stabbed through the left ventricle of his heart on May 28, 2017.
Sabatino slipped into a coma and died 10 days later at a Boston hospital.
Delafuentes had been charged with first degree murder. Following four days of testimony and roughly six hours of deliberations, jurors in Salem Superior Court convicted him on the lesser charge of second degree murder.
Delafuentes was also found guilty on two assault charges stemming from a stabbing attack the same night on Daniel Doore. Doore was stabbed five times but survived. He testified during the trial.
The verdicts were handed down about 1 p.m. Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear when Delafuentes will face sentencing.
Delafuentes' criminal trial opened in Salem Superior Court June 8, 2021 — exactly four years to the day after Sabatino's death.
The case was prosecuted by Erin Bellavia and Jessica Strasnick, assistant district attorneys. Delafuentes' defense attorneys are John MacLachlan and Christopher Federico.
Delafuentes did not testify in his own defense.
Prosecutors called an array of witnesses, including Courtney Trussell, Sabatino's fiancee, and Courtney Valcourt, Doore's girlfriend, who were with Sabatino and Doore when they were attacked and stabbed.
This is a developing story. A complete report will appear online and in Wednesday's print edition of The Eagle-Tribune.
Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter @EagleTribJill.
