Pittsfield — Desmond Phillip, 45, was found guilty of murder in the first degree and three gun related charges in Berkshire Superior Court on Thursday, July 3.
According to Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office Chief of Operations Julia Sabourin, Phillip was convicted of four charges:
- Murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence;
- Illegal Possession of a Firearm, which carries a mandatory 2.5 years sentence;
- Possession of a Firearm without a firearms identification;
- Possession of Ammunition without a firearms identification.
Sabourin wrote that the jury deliberated for six hours over two days, and that Phillip will be sentenced on Thursday, July 10 at 2 p.m. at Berkshire Superior Court.
She wrote that, during the evening of September 30, 2022, police officers responded to a call of shots fired at 7 Goodrich Street.
Upon officers arrival they discovered Teddy Cepeda, 43, who lay unresponsive on the ground due to a gunshot wound to the chest.
Cepeda was transferred to Berkshire Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
“Law enforcement investigations revealed that on that day, Cepeda traveled to 7 Goodrich Street to pick up a woman, Courtney Haner,” Sabourin wrote in her press release. “Haner had a prior romantic relationship with Cepeda. Both the defendant and Haner lived at 7 Goodrich Street. The defendant had a history of jealousy. Evidence showed that when Cepeda arrived at 7 Goodrich Street, a verbal argument ensued between both men.”
Sabourin wrote that, during the argument, Phillip fired a single shot at Cepeda’s chest.
“The investigation revealed that the defendant was aware that Cepeda was traveling to the house,” she wrote. “The defendant armed himself with an illegal, loaded firearm prior to Mr. Cepeda’s arrival.”
The investigation included crime scene photos, video surveillance, Facebook communications, and eyewitness testimony from the night of the shooting.”
“At the trial, the defense [for Phillip] argued that the defendant shot the victim in self-defense; however, a jury rejected that theory,” Sabourin wrote. “Rather they found the commonwealth proved that the defendant made no attempt to back away from the victim. Massachusetts laws state that individuals must first attempt to retreat when feeling threatened prior to resorting to deadly force.
The Pittsfield Police Department served as the lead law enforcement agency. The Berkshire State Police Detective Unit’s Digital Evidence Lab supported the investigation.
