Man found guilty of second-degree murder in downtown bar shooting
Dec. 4—Michelle Pouliot wept Monday morning after a Hillsborough County jury found John Delee guilty of shooting and killing her 24-year-old son outside a downtown Manchester bar earlier this year.
"Justice has finally been served," she said outside the Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester. "Now my baby can rest easily."
She yelled "Yes" as someone approached her for a brief embrace as she sat in the passenger seat of an SUV.
Delee, 23, formerly of Salem, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder for knowingly and recklessly shooting Timothy Pouliot outside The Goat Bar and Grill on Jan. 29. Delee also was charged with felony reckless conduct.
According to the prosecution, Delee shot Pouliot around 12:45 a.m. after the victim punched him in the face. Most of the night's events were caught on either cellphone or video surveillance.
The jury of 12 reached its verdict in less than two hours over Friday afternoon and Monday morning after a four-day trial in Hillsborough County Superior Court.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place March 8. Delee faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Delee showed no emotion as the verdicts were read. As he was escorted from the courtroom, he looked over and waved to his family and friends, many of whom said, "We love you, J."
"Hey, you're still alive, buddy," one man yelled out. "There is light at the end of the tunnel."
While in the bar, Delee escalated tensions between two groups of friends after he saw Pouliot talking to his ex-girlfriend on the dance floor, prosecutor Rachel Harrington said during opening statements.
During closing arguments on Friday, prosecutor Scott Chase said Delee shot Pouliot eight times out of anger and for retribution. He kept shooting as Pouliot fell to the ground. A medical examiner testified Pouliot likely would have survived the first three shots.
"This is an execution and absolutely nothing less," Chase said during his closing argument.
Delee was nearly a foot taller and 200 pounds heavier than Pouliot.
Lawyer: It was self-defense
Defense lawyer Patrick Colvario said Delee acted in self-defense as Pouliot and two friends, Michael Mendoza and Trenton Nash, pursued him further up the street and put Delee's "life in danger." Delee had been kicked out of the bar after a scuffle initiated by Mendoza, who threw a punch. Video shown during closing arguments showed Mendoza missed.
Earlier in the night, Pouliot claimed to a group of women that he was a professional fighter, Colvario said.
"A professional MMA fighter had expressed to him in no uncertain terms that he wanted to knock (Delee) out by the end of the night," he said. "And he had help. And they know that John was armed."
Pouliot initially walked away after leaving the bar, only to return as the feud continued with words exchanged and more punches thrown.
The defense said Delee was trying to get away to his car parked at Market Basket, but the prosecution said Delee kept heading back "to finish the fight."
Chase said that after Delee shot Pouliot, he told one of the victim's friends, "Come get your boy. He is bleeding out."
"That is the extent of the remorse that he had," Chase said. "There was no fear. There was no terror and there was absolutely no reason for the defendant to be in fear."
Michelle Pouliot said it was difficult to sit through parts of the four-day trial.
"It was heart-wrenching to see my son lying on a gurney with bullets that had ricocheted through his body," she said with tears.
Timothy Pouliot, who lived in Manchester, always looked for ways to give back, his mother said.
"He mentored over 50 kids," she said. "He taught tae kwon do for free. He never asked for a dime."
He leaves behind a daughter, Arabella.
Michelle Pouliot said her son hated bullies and would always stand up for his friends.
"If it cost his life to stand up for his friend, he would do it," she said. "He always said he would take a bullet for his friends."
