Self defense will be issue in Enfield stabbing trial

Alex Wood, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·4 min read

Sep. 27—Shyhiem T. Adams, who is accused of first-degree manslaughter and evidence tampering in the fatal stabbing of Enfield High School sophomore Justin Brady three years ago, plans to claim self defense at his trial, scheduled to start Tuesday in Hartford Superior Court, his lawyer says.

Adams, now 21, is accused of fatally stabbing Brady during a fight outside the home of Assistant Town Attorney Mark Cerrato at 15 Hoover Lane in Enfield.

Police received a 911 call reporting the situation at 12:24 a.m. on Sept. 10, 2018, although there are indications that the stabbing may have occurred as much as half an hour earlier.

At least two witnesses told police that Adams stabbed Brady while the two were wrestling on the ground during the fight, according to an affidavit by Enfield police Detective Gary Castle.

STABBING TRIAL

DEFENDANT: SHYHEIM "TREY" ADAMS, NOW 21, OF HARTFORD.

VICTIM: JUSTIN BRADY, AN ENFIELD HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE WHO DIED AT AGE 16 ON SEPT. 10, 2018, AFTER BEING STABBED DURING A FIGHT OUTSIDE 15 HOOVER LANE IN ENFIELD, THE HOME OF ASSISTANT TOWN ATTORNEY MARK CERRATO.

CHARGES: FIRST-DEGREE MANSLAUGHTER, EVIDENCE TAMPERING

Connecticut law doesn't permit an acquittal on grounds of self-defense in a case of "combat by agreement not specifically authorized by law."

STABBING TRIAL

DEFENDANT: SHYHEIM "TREY" ADAMS, NOW 21, OF HARTFORD.

VICTIM: JUSTIN BRADY, AN ENFIELD HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE WHO DIED AT AGE 16 ON SEPT. 10, 2018, AFTER BEING STABBED DURING A FIGHT OUTSIDE 15 HOOVER LANE IN ENFIELD, THE HOME OF ASSISTANT TOWN ATTORNEY MARK CERRATO.

CHARGES: FIRST-DEGREE MANSLAUGHTER, EVIDENCE TAMPERING

The two witnesses — Michael Cerrato, who is Mark Cerrato's adoptive son, and Madison Cohen, Michael's girlfriend — told police that Adams and Brady had discussed fighting in electronic communications before the fatal fight occurred, Castle reported.

Cohen quoted Brady making a statement in a message before the fight to the effect that he was going to "slap" Adams, who is known as "Trey." according to the detective. Cohen said Adams responded, using street language like Brady's, that he wasn't a coward, adding, "Pull up then," the detective continued. He said Cohen explained that "pulling up" is a reference to someone coming to where the other person is to fight.

The detective quoted Michael Cerrato as saying that while they were at his house Adams left the room to take a phone call, then returned and said, "They're coming here." Michael Cerrato went on to say that Brady and a friend of his, Jaylin Kohler, "were coming because Justin wanted to smack" Adams, according to the detective.

The detective quoted Kohler as saying that he was at his house with Brady on Sept. 9, 2018, and that Brady was using Snapchat to exchange messages with a person he knew as "Trey."

"Justin told Jaylin they had to go somewhere to get into a fight," the detective reported.

Nevertheless, Adams' lawyer, Christopher D. Parker, said Friday, "Our stance is that it wasn't mutual combat." He didn't provide further details, other than to say that he plans to call defense witnesses during the trial, rather than merely cross-examining prosecution witnesses, as defense lawyers often do in criminal cases.

Advance witness lists filed by the two sides show that both Parker and prosecutor John Fahey may call Michael Cerrato and Kohler to the witness stand and that the prosecutor may also call Cohen as a witness.

A new piece of evidence that has emerged during the case is a letter that Adams wrote to a woman in Poughkeepsie, New York while held in lieu of $750,000 bond. Prison authorities intercepted the letter.

In a search warrant affidavit, Castle and Detective Martin Merritt quote Adams as writing, with errors, "... it's not like I wanted that boy to die He started trying to ROB and fight me when I told him please leave me alone and michael gave me that weapon and told me to go outside I didn't know what or why he wanted me to go outside I know now he was jealous of me because his girl like me so he wanted me to get hurt."

Michael Cerrato has accepted a plea bargain in which he was convicted of second-degree hindering prosecution for giving Adams a ride to Hartford after the stabbing and attempted evidence tampering for an exchange of text messages in which he tried to persuade his father to remove the knife used in the stabbing from their home. He received a three-year prison sentence in January 2020 but is no longer an inmate, according to online state Department of Correction records.

For updates on Glastonbury, and recent crime and courts coverage in North-Central Connecticut, follow Alex Wood on Twitter: @AlexWoodJI1, Facebook: Alex Wood, and Instagram: @AlexWoodJI.